subject: Keeping Glass And Fabric Lamp Shades Spotless [print this page] Lamp shades have large surface areas which makes them prone to collecting dust. Moreover, fabric and glass often have electrostatic charge build-up which leads to increased attraction for dust particles. This means that one should periodically clean a lamp shade.
A soft cloth is all that is needed for cleaning glass. The cloth picks up both oily dirt transferred by manual handling, and also dry dust that is in the air all the time. Gentle rubbing with soap and suds helps remove more of the oil faster than is possible with cloth alone.
Although the main shade is glass, the rest of the lamp is composed of bits of plastic, metal, and other materials used for the trim. Each of these have different tolerance for water exposure. Some metals corrode upon contact with water. Electrical contacts become rusted. Trim and beading fall off if scrubbed too vigorously. These caveats need to be observed.
For lamp shades made of softer materials like fabrics and papers, the cloth solution is often the only way to clean. Small, gentle vacuums help speed up the dust removal process. But the problem is that oily residue from human skin are absorbed by soft materials which makes the cleaning difficult if not impossible.
The other possibility is to wash the fabric shade with water much as one would do with glass. The problem is that not all fabrics are robust to water, especially the shades that are held together by glues that break down in water. Some dyes used for decorating fabrics are not water safe, either losing intensity or changing in hue when submerged in water.
Should one ascertain that the shade is amenable to complete water treatment, obtain a large container holding enough water to allow the entire shade to be submerged. Following, some detergent or soap should be used to help get rid of tougher stains. Shades that have never been washed will be really changed.
