Ceiling lamp shades cover and disperse the light and improve the general appearance of a ceiling lamp. Keeping your ceiling lamp shades clean and in good condition helps to ensure that they look good and function properly.
General Tips for Maintaining Your Ceiling Lamp Shade
- Never use a light bulb which is of a higher wattage than what is recommended by the shade's manufacturer. This prevents unnecessary wear and fading on the material of the shade. Using a higher wattage bulb than recommended can melt the shade or cause a fire.
- Position your ceiling lamp shade away from direct sunlight. This is not always possible, but sunlight can cause fading or discoloration over time.
- Clean your ceiling lamp shade on a regular basis. This is far more effective than waiting until the shade shows dirt or dust.
- Remove your lamp shade whenever you will be moving furniture around, even if you believe it is high enough to avoid potential damage.
- Avoid contact with any sharp objects. This is especially true with fabric or paper ceiling shades which are more susceptible to damage than glass or metal.
Tips for Cleaning Your Ceiling Lamp Shade
- Always remove your ceiling lamp shade to clean it. You will be able to do a more thorough job and reduce risk of injury.
- Never use water to clean paper or fabric shades. If there is a removable hard plastic liner, use warm soapy water to clean only that part. This will be necessary every 2 to 3 months to remove any built up dust or grime.
- When cleaning a glass ceiling lamp shade, use water or an ammonia-free window cleaner. Move the rag in circular motions to avoid streaks which are not only unattractive, but can reduce the amount of light that passes through.
- Whenever cleaning ceiling lamp shades, remove and dust the light bulb before reattaching the lamp shade. Dust can quickly transfer from a bulb onto the shade and be burned on from the inside.
.
Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be submitted to our
"