Review of the 8 Best Crystal Chandelier Cleaners and How to Clean Them
Which product to choose to clean crystal chandeliers? How to wash a huge and expensive lamp without touching or removing it? Traditionally, crystal ware is washed in water with washing liquid or ammonia and hydrogen peroxide added. You can buy a ready-made aerosol, spray the substance on the chandelier - and the cleaning is done. Such a purifier costs about $10 (equivalent). Those who want to save money on cleaning will have to wash the chandelier in the classic way.
What are the characteristics of crystal cleaning
A crystal chandelier is cleaned in the following way:
- dry - using an antistatic broom, a duster brush or a soft, lint-free cloth;
- wet - without removing the product from the ceiling;
- damp - removing individual parts or the entire lamp.
Either method is to clean the chandelier by hand. Also, to get to the lamp you need a ladder, table or chair.
To clean crystalline products, an aqueous solution is prepared with the addition of the following agents:
- ammonia;
- hydrogen peroxide;
- the vinegar;
- liquid for washing kitchen utensils;
- special spray, aerosol for cleaning crystal lamps.
In the process of caring for the crystal, it must be remembered that it is a very fragile material. The crystal lamp should be washed very carefully. It is better to put on rubber gloves before washing, the details will not slip out of your hands.
For washing, use warm water, the temperature of which does not exceed 40 degrees, as well as a cleaning agent.
First, a low concentration wash water solution is prepared. Too aggressive a substance can cause yellowing or clouding of the crystal. Do not use powder, soap or shampoo for cleaning. These household chemicals lather heavily and leave a film on the crystal, which will help heat the glass every time the electricity is turned on.
After the end of washing, the lamp or its spare parts must be rinsed with water with the addition of 9% vinegar essence. Then let it dry slightly, put on cotton gloves and wipe it off with a clean linen towel, giving the product a dazzling shine.
How to prepare for washing
Before, how to clean a hanging chandelier, it is necessary to prepare well for this procedure. All the necessary items should be at hand. Before cleaning, you need to open a window or a window.
What accessories you must have:
- thin rubber gloves for removing parts and washing hanging parts of the luminaire;
- sponge or soft washcloth;
- cloth (cotton) gloves for cleaning crystal;
- a toothbrush with soft bristles;
- oilcloth for the floor;
- bowl;
- several rags;
- towels.
Power outage
Before washing the lamp, you must turn off the light and cut off the power supply to your panel throughout the apartment. All lamps from the chandelier must be unscrewed and put on the table.
Cloth gloves
After washing the lamp, put on cloth gloves. In them you need to wipe the crystal and hang the removable parts on the chandelier. Cotton gloves will help avoid fingerprints on the washed glass.
Water recovery
To wash off the chandelier, you need to collect a certain amount of water at room temperature in a bowl. A cleaning agent or detergent is added to the liquid. Usually for 5 liters of water take half a bottle of ammonia or a few drops of dishwashing detergent. For rinsing - for 3 liters of liquid you need to take 3 tablespoons of ordinary table vinegar.
How to wash all items
Instructions for washing crystal products:
- Turn off all electricity in the house.
- Take a picture of the lamp.
- Remove the luminaire from the ceiling or disassemble it into parts.
- Wear rubber gloves.
- Wash each part in a bowl with lukewarm water and cleaning product.
- Rinse all removable fragments in cold water with a few tablespoons of vinegar.
- Let the lamp dry.
- Wear cotton gloves.
- Wipe with a clean towel, buff every detail to a high shine.
- Wind up and hang the chandelier.
How to wash without removing
How to clean a lamp by letting it hang from the ceiling:
- Disconnect the electrical supply to the apartment.
- Take a picture of the lamp.
- Wear thin rubber gloves.
- Remove all removable pendants, lay them out on a napkin in a certain order.
- Leave non-removable parts on the chandelier.
What to do with removable parts:
- Prepare a solution with a cleaning agent.
- Using a washcloth or rag, wash each removed harness separately.
- Pour water into a bowl, add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar.
- Rinse each item in a vinegar solution.
- Place all parts on a soft waffle towel to dry.
- Put on cotton gloves, wipe all removable parts with a dry linen towel and put them back in their place.
What to do with the remaining tassels on the chandelier:
- Wipe the fixed parts with a damp cloth directly on the luminaire. You can use a spray bottle filled with cleaning fluid.
- Immediately after washing, the chandelier hanging from the ceiling should be wiped with a clean, dry towel to prevent the metal parts from rusting.
- Wait 5-6 hours for the chandelier to dry.
- Turn on the light.
If there are no removable parts on the fixture, clean it like this:
- Turn off the power on their dashboard.
- Remove the carpet from the floor, put a film or oilcloth under the chandelier, and various rags.
- The cleaning agent is poured into a spray bottle and the lamp is washed with a jet. After 40 minutes, the chandelier is wiped off.
- You can purchase a ready-to-use gloss cleaner spray. The product is sprayed on each part of the lamp, letting it drip and dry.
- Remove dirt from the floor.
- Let the lamp dry for 5 hours.
- Turn on the light.
Consideration of effective remedies
There are many cleaning products available to clean your chandelier. Which one to choose depends on the degree of contamination of the crystal.
Ammonia
Water with ammonia is an excellent alternative to expensive detergents.Ammonia dissolves stains, removes dirt and dust, and gives crystal a shine. To prepare a cleaning solution for 5 liters of water, take 20 milliliters of ammonia.
vinegar solution
Water mixed with vinegar is used to rinse the crystal clean. The vinegar solution will add shine to the washed luster. Usually 5 tablespoons of 9 percent vinegar essence is taken for 5 liters of water.
Dishwashing liquid
Water with a few drops of washing-up liquid will help remove greasy stains and very stubborn dirt. Such a solution does not foam, does not leave traces on the surface of the crystal. After washing, it is recommended to rinse the chandelier with vinegar water.
Ready-to-use formulas
High hanging chandeliers with a large number of pendants are best cleaned with sprays or aerosols. These are non-contact preparations for gentle care of crystal lamps.
Aerosol
A contactless cleaner for crystal lamps, in aerosol packaging, will facilitate the maintenance of a chandelier hanging high from the ceiling. When using such an aerosol, it is not necessary to disassemble, rinse and wipe crystal items.
4D technology
To clean the chandelier, 4D contactless cleaning sprays are available. When spraying, the active substance is deposited on the chandelier in the form of drops. The product dissolves dirt quickly. When spraying again, the droplets combine and, under their own weight, fall to the ground together with the dirt.
Mousse
This is a non-contact cleaning foam for crystal lamps. The active substance corrodes dirt and falls to the ground. After cleaning, the chandelier is like new.
Spray
You can buy a spray for contactless cleaning of a crystal lamp.This weakly alkaline cleaner will quickly remove dirt and plaque from crystal. Some sprays (Universal Anti-Dust) are suitable for washing Swarovski elements. The agent is sprayed on the lamp and allowed to dry. You don't have to do anything else.
What you should not do
Crystal products must be well maintained, otherwise they will turn yellow in advance, lose luster or become cloudy. Care should be taken when choosing detergents and cleaning agents.
Hot water
The crystal lamp cannot be washed with hot water, otherwise it will turn cloudy or yellow. Crystal is afraid of too sharp changes in temperature, you can not wash the parts of the chandelier with warm water, and then abruptly immerse them in cold water.
Cold water
In water that is too cold, grease or dirt may not wash off. The ideal temperature of the aqueous solution is 27 to 40 degrees Celsius. In cold water with the addition of vinegar essence, you can rinse the parts of the washed lamp.
Abrasive compounds
Salt, soda, powder should not be used to wash the crystal lamp. The abrasive particles of these products can damage the delicate surface of the crystal. For cleaning, choose a mild, non-foaming detergent.
Cannot be washed in PMM
Washing a crystal chandelier is hard and laborious work. After all, the lamp must be disassembled, removed every detail, washed separately, rinsed, dried, polished. If anyone finds such work overwhelming, you can buy a crystal chandelier cleaning spray and spray it on the crystal. It is undesirable to wash the lamp elements using a dishwasher, the pendants may turn yellow or crack.
Tips & Tricks
5 tips for cleaning crystal chandeliers:
- It is necessary to wash the crystal very carefully, since this material is fragile and breaks quickly.
- Do not use a hard or abrasive washcloth, they will scratch the glass.
- To clean the crystal, it is better to buy a special cleaning spray and spray it on the surface.
- For washing, it is advisable to take water at room temperature.
- If the lamp is simply covered with dust, it is best to remove it with a Duster brush.
Rules of care
A crystal lamp will always be in perfect condition if you take care of it regularly. Once a week, when cleaning the room, you can use a Duster brush to brush the dust from the chandelier. Lamp parts should be cleaned carefully. When cleaning, it is necessary to ensure that the suspended elements do not touch or scratch each other.
General cleaning and washing of all parts of the chandelier is carried out no more than 1-2 times a year. This tedious process can be simplified by purchasing a ready-to-use crystal maintenance spray. The product is sprayed on the chandelier hanging from the ceiling and left for a few minutes. The foam eats away dirt, drips, dries and shines clean in just 5 minutes of operation. True, first you need to put a wide piece of oilcloth on the floor.
Before washing the chandelier, be sure to turn off the electricity.It is better to clean the crystal during the day, in sunny weather, when not only stains are clearly visible, but also stains after detergents.
To add shine, all parts of the lamp are rinsed with water with vinegar added after washing. After rinsing, it is recommended to wipe the crystal immediately.Usually a lint-free towel is used for this, preferably a linen towel. And most importantly - no matter how dirty the lamp is, it cannot be washed in hot water. The ideal temperature of the aqueous solution is 28 to 40 degrees Celsius.