With what and how to wash a crystal chandelier

The completion of any general cleaning is washing the chandelier, which is almost always associated with laborious work and a lot of hassle for the owners. And if an ordinary glass or plastic lampshade is unpretentious in maintenance, then crystal devices are much more complicated structurally, and the material itself requires a special approach. Crystal is quartz glass, but with the addition of 24% lead, which changes its properties in such a way that, in addition to the special refraction of light, the material becomes more malleable and malleable for processing. In contrast to the usual glass ones, crystal luxury items are designed for practically unlimited life, and negligent treatment over time will affect in the form of clouding, loss of luster and shine.

Selection of inventory and preparation

Of course, some of the nuances depend on the height of the fixture, its size and construction, but in order to wash almost any crystal chandelier in most cases, you will need:

• stepladder or any piece of furniture that is tall and stable enough to keep the lamp at face level;
• A screwdriver to check for voltage in the fixture;
• cotton or rubber gloves to protect your hands from sharp edges and to protect the glass elements from falls, scratches, and grease marks;
• safety mask and goggles - needed to protect eyes and respiratory tract from dust and finely dispersed particles of caustic chemicals;
• cleaner or ingredients for its preparation with utensils - to dissolve and chemically remove contaminants;
• pulverizer - necessary if the cleaning mixture is to be applied by spraying;
• a piece of cotton cloth - individual elements of the structure are folded on it;
• paper towels, microfiber - for physical removal of dirt, as well as primary drying;
• A pepidastre brush or paint brush - you can't do without them in hard-to-reach areas, dimples and recesses on the product;
• plastic film - to protect the floor surface from moisture. Especially important in the case of wooden parquet.

Depending on the method of cleaning may need additional items, such as a basin, a hair dryer, a clothes dryer, but all this will be described in detail.

To begin with, before any manipulation of an electrical appliance, you must unplug it from the power supply.

If properly wired, the circuit breaker its key breaks the phase and, in this case, both contacts on the socket will be reliably de-energized. But if the switch is wired to break the zero, the luminaire will actually remain energized. Therefore, it is much more reliable to turn off the circuit breaker on the electric meter, thus de-energizing the entire house, and plan to clean the chandelier during daylight hours.

If it is difficult to disconnect the entire building from electricity, it is sufficient to unplug the breaker key and check for voltage on the contacts in the socket with an indicator screwdriver, and then proceed to the next step.

An alternative to this method could be to disconnect the required room in the junction box.

When installing the stepladder, pay attention to its height.

This is important because prolonged hand manipulation with the head held high leads to numbness of the cervical spine and with a sudden change of position there are cases of dizziness and, consequently, a fall from height.

Choice of remedy

Since the invention of crystal light fixtures, a lot has changed, and there are factory tools for cleaning crystal, but homemade methods are also improving and are not much inferior to the factory technology. Let's move on to the choice of method.

Folk

Various approaches to cleaning crystal are known, and some methods have migrated from washing ordinary glass. But as practice has shown, fanaticism on its own is not applicable in all cases to small glass parts with high lead content. Acids and spirits have proven to be the best and most practical in this respect, viz:

• Ammonia - can be purchased in pharmacies, diluted in cool water in the ratio of 2-3 spoons per half liter;
• 9% colorless table vinegar - Sold in grocery stores, as well as ammonia is diluted in the proportion of 2-3 tablespoons per 0.5 liters of water.

Reducing or increasing the concentration is not advisable, since by reducing the proportion of active substances they are not so effective on dirt, and their high rate of evaporation also plays an important role. When the concentration of the same ammonia increases, the solution becomes so caustic that it burns the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and eyes. These substances are guaranteed to leave no streaks, dry quickly and are good at dissolving non-greasy dirt.

Dishwashing detergent is used only if there is a layer of sticky grease and dust on the surface of the parts, which is the case when the lamp hangs in the kitchen, next to the stove. If you're a chandelier washer and your opponent is against the use of household chemicals, decoction of potatoes or a solution of starch at a ratio of 1 tablespoon of water to 0.5 liters will do.

Chemical

In this case, we have in mind highly specialized substances of factory production. Their selection is presented in two types:

• in spray cans;
• in gels - require dilution in water in the proportions specified in the instructions.

The product from a can or diluted gel poured into a sprayer is liberally applied to the device two or three times at intervals of 15 minutes and does not require forced drying in the form of wiping. Judging by the reviews for most of these miracle cleaners, their claimed effectiveness is highly questionable. An ordinary "squeegee" for windows shows itself to be much more practical in this regard.

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How to remove the chandelier from the ceiling by yourself

 

Methods of cleaning

Selected depending on the degree of contamination and the possibility of dismantling the chandelier.

Wet

Selected if a thick layer of dust, grease and organic traces of flies settled on the parts. Remove most of the crystal pendants and lay them on a soft, lint-free cloth so that they do not touch each other.

It would be better to lay this cloth immediately on the bottom of the tub or dishwashing sink.

Before removing the pendants, take pictures of the chandelier from several angles to make it easier to assembly processand stack the individual parts in the order of their removal.

Then apply one of the selected products on the pendants and repeat after 10-15 minutes.

Rinse off dirt and chemical residue from a showerhead or ladle and hang all items in order on a clothesline or clothes dryer.

For the second method, use a bucket or basin with a detergent solution, on the bottom of which all the items are placed on top of the cloth.

After soaking in detergent hangers are rinsed in a bucket with clean water or under a tap.

Please note! Rinsing is carried out only with cold water, and after using soapy substances, in addition to a thorough wash in running water, it is better to dip all the "pendants" in a bucket with a solution of ammonia or vinegar. This gives the parts an extra shine and prevents streaks.

To speed up drying, you can use a hair dryer, but it is better to let the crystal dry on its own, after which the dried parts should be lightly polished with hands in cotton gloves or a cloth for wiping glasses. Using gloves will prevent greasy fingerprints from getting onto the glass.

Dry

Performed with a pipidaster or paint brush, and only used with regular and frequent cleaning to remove a small layer of dust.

Read also

Fixing and installing the chandelier

 

How to wash a chandelier without taking it off

If the decorative elements of the chandelier are not removable, then it is cleaned by dry or wet cleaning, on which we should dwell in more detail. Preparations for washing in this situation include the following nuances:

1. It is necessary to install a stepladder or a sturdy table, in height, providing a rise to a level where the device will be at face level.
2. Lights are turned off.
3. The light bulbs are unscrewed.The light bulbs are unscrewed, which will also need to be wiped off with a damp microfiber.
4. Use a screwdriver to check the voltage on the contacts in the socket.
5. Small disposable bags are put on the sockets themselves and secured with a clerical rubber band.
6. A film is spread on the floor under the chandelier and a wide plastic basin of water is placed to soften the possible fall of the pendants.

From the arsenal of the resourceful! Instead of the film and the basin, you can hang an upside down umbrella on the lower tiers of the chandelier. It will drip dirty liquid and fall accidentally slipped out of the mounts pendants.

After that, using a spray gun, in several stages, with intervals of 10-15 minutes on all surfaces of the chandelier is applied cleaning compound and wiped dry with a microfiber.

In hard-to-reach areas, the dust is wiped off with a paint brush or soft toothbrush under a spray gun.

Wipe all parts with cloth gloves.

After completing the work, let the luminaire dry naturally for at least 3 hours, then screw in the bulbs, check the performance and the result.

The difference between a cleaned and a dusty area can be seen with the naked eye even without the light sources turned on.

You can use the method from the video.

What not to do

On the Web there are hundreds of opinions on the effectiveness and safety of different methods of cleaning crystal, but you can be sure of the following facts:

1. Under no circumstances should you use abrasives like chalk, toothpaste, ashes, salt, etc. Of course, the abrasive effect speeds up the process of cleaning heavily soiled surfaces, but after a few years of such practice, the glass is sure to become cloudy. Metal surfaces of the appliance are also often covered with a thin layer of plating. In the case of gilding, the use of abrasives is out of the question altogether.
2. The same effect is produced by ordinary dust, so cleaning crystal with a cloth or stiff brushes on dry surfaces is also not recommended.
3. It is best to avoid using solutions of salts and alkalis, as they leave white residue after drying.
4. Soap solutions are used only as a last resort, as their sticky residues quickly collect dust.

Regarding safety precautions, it is worth noting that falls from height due to electric shock and dizziness during prolonged work with the chin held high are not uncommon.

Naturally, it is possible to neglect the facts presented, but neither the safety of the cleaner, nor the durability of the precious crystal is then out of the question.

Prevention

Antistatic agents are used as a prophylactic against contamination.

These substances are sprayed in a thin layer on the surface and prevent small particles of dirt and dust from adhering. But in the case of crystal and Swarovski stones it is difficult to talk about their practicality, because the subtle antistatic film still reduces the shine of the chandelier. Although for some people this is not critical, and many people prefer to clean a little less often to the detriment of beauty and shine.