Disassembling And Cleaning A Chandelier | Anyclean

By Nick Vassilev

updated: 09/09/2024


A close-up greyscale shot of a crystal chandelier

Chandeliers add glamour and grace to a room because of their innate beauty and intricate design. The greater the intricacy of the design, the greater the beauty and the more a chandelier adds to a room’s decor. But that is where the problem lies. The more intricate and eye-catching it is, the more dirt and grime on it will be noticed. 

Because cleaning a large chandelier is complex, it is one of the most often avoided home cleaning jobs. However, because a chandelier is such an eye-catching lighting fixture, people will quickly notice the dust and dirt that has been collected there. A dirty chandelier does not reflect well on the quality of home cleaning in your house. It’s probably best to leave chandelier cleaning to a professional domestic cleaning agency, but if you want to do it yourself, here is how you should do it.

A dining room with a chandelier over the table

How To Quickly And Safely Clean Your Chandelier

You will need a step ladder, plastic sandwich bags, rubber bands, tarpaulin, chandelier cleaner, or any other cleaning spray that drips dry without leaving any marks.

1. Check the manufacturer’s website for specific cleaning tips or instructions. Following these guidelines is crucial as they are tailored to your chandelier’s specifications, ensuring a safe and effective cleaning process.

2. Make sure the bulbs are off and cool before starting.

3. Place a thick blanket or quilt on the floor to catch anything that may fall during the disassembling process.

4. Securely set up a step ladder and, if possible, have someone help you by taking each piece you remove and placing it safely on the carpet. Otherwise, you may end up climbing up and down the ladder far more than is comfortable!

5. Take pictures of the chandelier from various angles or make a detailed sketch of it to make it back together again.

6. Dust the complete chandelier before beginning with the disassembly

7. Remove all the bulbs

8. Starting from the outside, remove the pieces one by one and place them on the blanket. Removing pieces is usually straightforward forward, with one piece hooking into the next. If you are uncertain about how to remove the pieces and if the company website has no information about it, stop and get professional help.

9. Once all the pieces are on the carpet, place a few at a time into a plastic (not metal – it may cause scratches) sieve or colander and rinse with hot water.

10. Apply mild detergent and rinse it off. Repeat this process until all the pieces are clean.

11. Clean the metal pieces with a reputed metal cleaner specific to the metal type and then polish as required.

12. Keep doing this until the complete chandelier has been cleaned.

13. Allow everything to dry and then polish with a soft cloth

14. Start putting the chandelier back together again, starting from the inside and working your way outwards.

15. Refit the bulbs.

While cleaning a chandelier can be time-consuming, it’s a task that’s worth the effort. There are quicker methods, but to maintain the chandelier’s beauty and prevent dirt from getting ingrained, a thorough cleaning every fifth time is recommended. Following these steps will ensure your chandelier shines brightly, giving you confidence in your cleaning skills.

About the author 

Nick Vassilev

Nick blogs about cleaning. He is a cleaning expert with more than 25 years of experience. He is also an NCCA-certified carpet cleaner. Founder and CEO of Anyclean.