How to Clean Lamp Shades of Linen, Parchment or Silk by:Tara Aronson

And what about those dusty lamp shades - of linen

, parchment or silk?

Simply use a vacuum cleaner to draw the dust out. It needs to be done often, as often as you dust and clean everything in your home.

To keep them from wearing out before their time, make sure you're using the correct wattage for the fixture.

Don't use more wattage than the fixture can take. Often, manufacturers put some sort of limit as to the wattage. Too much wattage can burn the cloth fabric.

If you're unsure as to the wattage, opt for a lower wattage bulb to save energy. Since energy for lighting can account for up to 10 percent of your electric bill, you can save your lamp and your pocketbook by lightening up on your wattage.

If you're using 100-watt bulbs where 60-watt bulbs will do, consider replacing them. Or, switch to fluorescent bulbs. They give off a warmer light that's close to the light of incandescent bulbs.

About the author

Tara has appeared in numerous magazine, newspaper and online articles featuring her lifestyle, organizing and cleaning expertise in addition to writing her twice-monthly column, Coming Clean in the San Francisco Chronicle. Tara is also regularly a guest expert on news, feature, and talk-show programs across the country. She most recently appeared on the "Rachael Ray" Daytime talk show Feb. 4, 2009, in New York City. Tara appeared as the guest expert on Human Lab: Laundry.

In addition, Tara also puts her well-tuned journalistic skills to use on the road, writing travel articles about her as frequent as possible road trips to venues across the United States and abroad. Tara is a proud mom to three who cleans and writes in West Los Angeles.

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