How to clean lamp shades is one of those difficult cleaning tasks that can transform your room from tidy to truly clean in a matter of minutes. Lampshades tend to get dirty as a result of soiled hands, household dust, and pet hair.To put it another way, lamps are similar to jewellery for your room: if they’re beautiful, they’ll enhance the beauty of your space; if they’re in poor condition, they’ll make it appear even worse.
Lighting is similar to jewellery in another respect: high-quality shades aren’t affordable for everyone. It’s a challenge for me to keep the lampshades in my house clean because some of them cost more than the lamps they’re attached to.
- Starting with a light dusting with a feather duster, micro cloth, or a gentle vacuum to remove dirt from silk or linen shades will ensure that they last longer.
- Once you’ve done that, fill the tub or sink halfway with water and a teaspoon of very gentle detergent or Ivory soap. Take the shade and submerge it in the soapy water while holding it by its metal frame.
- Gentle rinse with warm water and allow to dry on a clothesline or in the shade
- Using a dry-cleaning stick, such as Janie from the Container Store, to spot clean any visible stains that remain is recommended.
- Remove any spots from the paper shade by gently rubbing it out with an old-fashioned gum eraser.
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Clean a fabric lampshade that has accumulated excessive dust and dirt
- Unplug the lamp and carefully remove the lampshade from the lamp base to. Remove as much surface dust and dirt from the inside and outside of the shade as you possibly can.
- Cleaning the lampshade with a soft clothing brush or even a microfiber towel – wiping it in parts with a microfiber towel in a smooth sweeping motion, and cleaning it horizontally from top to bottom with only a soft clothes brush – are also suitable options. In order to get into those hard-to-reach areas of pleated lampshades, a make-up brush or a paintbrush can be used.
- Extra dust and hair can be removed from lampshade trims and fringes by blow drying them with a hair dryer set to its highest setting.
- In case the fabric is sturdy, a vacuum cleaner with an upholstery brush attachment can be used to gently clean the shade by brushing it from top to bottom in a light, sweeping motion from top to bottom. A gentle vacuuming motion along and down the pleats of your lampshade will help keep it looking new.
Lamp shades made of pure fabric
If you are cleaning a lamp shade, no matter what type it is, always remove it first. Make a note of whether the seams are stitched or glued, and where the trim and embellishments are attached before cleaning your lamp shade. Submerging lamp shades made of glue in water will not damage them if they are stitched, but doing so will damage those made of glue.
- Fill your sink halfway with warm water, enough to completely submerge the lamp shade, and then add some dish soap to the water.
- A few teaspoons of baking soda can brighten up a yellowing lamp shade.
- Allow for 10 minutes of soaking.
- Clean the lamp shade with soapy water, gently scrubbing it with a soft sponge.
- Remove all residue and dirt from the lamp shade by rinsing it thoroughly and allowing it to air dry.
- Dust your lamp shade or use compressed air to remove dirt and dust to get a fresh start. Swirl an ivory soap bar in a cup of water, creating soapy water as a result of the swiping action of the bar.
Lampshades should be cleaned regularly
A weekly dusting of the lampshades is advised. This will remove spiderwebs from the lampshade material and prevent dust from becoming too deeply embedded in the fabric. If a lampshade accumulates dust in addition to other pollutants such as grease or nicotine in the air, it may be necessary to clean it thoroughly.
It is necessary to have the following supplies:
Tooling / Equipment
- Lint rollers are used to remove lint from clothing and other surfaces.
- A new paintbrush with a soft bristle.
- Using an upholstery brush, vacuum the carpets and furniture.
- Sink or bathtub with plenty of space.
- cloths made of microfiber
- With clips, you can hang your skirt.
- Hands made of cotton
- Eraser with gum
Materials
- A duster that is thrown away
- Detergent that is mild
- Soapy water for dishwashing
Instructions
Cleaning Fabric Lampshades
- The Lampshade should be cleaned
Remove the shade from the base of the lamp and unplug it. If the lamp, such as those from InPowered, has a light source built into the base, this is particularly important. Remove any loose soil by dusting as you normally would.
Wipe the inside and exterior of the lampshade with a microfiber cloth from top to bottom, both within and without.Using an extra drop of detergent on a cloth and wiping away the stains caused by food or insects is all that is required.
- Remove the Lampshade from the socket
Remove the lampshade and pour the soapy water out of the lamp base. Add clean lukewarm water to the tub and fill it up completely. To rinse away any soapy residue, lower the shade back into the tub and gently swish it around in the water.
Lampshade should be dried before reusing it
Drain the rinse water from the lampshade and gently shake it to release as much water as you can from the lamp. To dry the lampshade, place it upright on a thick piece of paper towel. Another option is to hang the shade from a clothesline or shower rod with adjustable clips to allow it to drip dry.
The Lampshade should be attached again
Before reattaching the lampshade to the lamp base, make sure it is completely dry.
