After purchasing a chandelier you’ll appreciate its attractiveness and the extra pizzazz it adds to any room. Cleaning a piece that hangs from the ceiling, sometimes at quite high heights is another story. The good news is that chandeliers generally only require a thorough cleaning once a year. Regardless, a properly cared for chandelier can be an heirloom passed on from generation to generation.

If your chandelier has multiple parts, prior to disassembling make a diagram to guide you to where any removable parts go after cleaning is completed. Some chandeliers may look simple when you take them apart, afterwards it can get tricky. We recommend making the diagram to prevent confusion later on.

The next step is to set up alternative lighting nearby the area you intend to work. Your chandelier will not be able to provide light while you are cleaning. Never clean the chandelier with the lights on. It is even better to turn off the breaker switch to that particular area of your home to avoid any electrical problems. If you do not switch off the breaker, cover the chandelier’s light switch with a piece of tape to avoid anyone switching it on while you are cleaning. After turning off the chandelier lights, wait for some time to let the bulbs cool down before beginning to clean it.

While the bulbs are cooling down, put down a thick comforter or drop cloth on the ground directly below to catch any possible falling pieces.

While cleaning the fixture make sure to keep it stationary. Do not turn or twist it.

Use a light cleaning mixture (like mild dish soap and water) or special chandelier cleaning solution. When wet-cleaning the chandelier it is a good idea to cover the light bulbs with plastic sandwich bags to avoid getting solution in the light sockets. Use warm water; the warmer the water the less spots that will be left. For use on the light bulbs, gently wipe them down with a soft cloth with light cleaner. Chandeliers that feature crystal pieces will be more labor intensive to clean, compared to chandeliers made of various metals, which generally only need a damp cloth to remove dust.

If you’d like to simply spruce up a chandelier’s appearance, focusing on dusting and cleaning off the lights will make the fixture look the nicest in the least amount of time.

Wipe down any stray drops of water or solution and replace removed pieces.

After you have completed cleaning, let the chandelier dry overnight to insure it is fully dried before turning its power back on.