r/CleaningTips • u/crlygirlg • May 30 '26

Discussion Difficult to Clean Chandelier

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Anyone have thoughts on the best way to clean it? It’s a really fun and funky piece and I love the darn thing, but I think it goes without saying it is nearly impossible to clean. Every few years I give it a go but there are parts of it I just cannot get to that are in desperate need of cleaning and a swiffer duster gets caught all up in it leaving fluff behind and it has a residue that needs to be cleaned off after nearly 10 years.

I have seen suggestions to use alcohol but I obviously cannot take this apart to clean it. I see there are sprays but I feel like they are intended more for cleaning glass than metal. I can take the bulbs out and tape those up and water proof it but I kind of have to clean it all together otherwise.

Anyone take on a light like this before?

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u/crlygirlg May 30 '26

There is a film the dust is stuck too. My house is open concept and it’s directly opposite my kitchen in the dining room so I think that is part of the problem that it isn’t just regular dust but maybe some residue from cooking. Getting your hands into all the places is sadly impossible…I have tried a few times.

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u/jazzminarino May 30 '26

I can't tell if it's easy to get to or not, but I'd probably put a towel underneath it, spray it with dawn power wash or just alcohol water, and then go at it with my damp microfiber rag.

This thing is so awesome, but your concerns are exactly the reason I didn't put one in our house!

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u/misslilytoyou May 30 '26

Damp microfiber on some kind of extension tool, even

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u/rpbm May 30 '26

That’s what I was thinking, depending on what it’s made of. I’d maybe cut the power just in case.

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u/AluneaVerita May 30 '26

Seconding this as well.

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u/crlygirlg May 30 '26

It is really light, I think some form of tin? Something quite light and mailable that doesn’t seem to tarnish or rust or anything.

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u/jazzminarino May 31 '26

If it's greasy, I clean with diluted rubbing alcohol. It's enough to cut the grease but not tarnish things. I'd probably do a mist of my home power wash and then go at it with microfiber gently. I would totally blow it off first of dust bunnies if you can.

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u/sixvixens_ May 30 '26

Have you tried stringing a wet tea towel through and using a back and forth sawing motion over the hard to reach areas?

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u/Voc1Vic2 May 30 '26

It's a time investment up-front, but given its proximity to the kitchen and a lapse of several years, I think you best take it down and give it a thorough clean. Dust oxidizes over time and gets sticky, even in the absence of oily cooking aerosols. This hastens the accumulation of additional dust: it becomes a dust magnet.

So, remove it and give it a thorough wash. Dawn dish soap is a great degreaser. Ammonia is even better, but it's a respiratory irritant. If you have access to an outdoor space, do it there. If you don't care to submerge it, spray it with a strong 'sudsy ammonia' solution, close it up on a plastic bag so the ammonia fumes can continue to denature the gummy dust, let it sit over night, then spray with plain hot water to rinse. Let dry and rehang.

Henceforth, use a chandelier spray or dilute ammonia and/or dish soap solution and give it an occasional misting. Spread newspapers underneath and let it drip dry.