Clean a Crystal Chandelier How To . . . We're moving into a bungalow soon (!) and with it came some immense and intensely lovely chandeliers. But they are filthy. The thought of cleaning them is daunting. We've turned to grandma and the web for insight, and would also love to hear any of your tips. For now, these are some suggestions: Bella Online: How to clean a chandelier properly And by far the quickest, simplest solution courtesy of Keeping the Castle via Household Shortcuts:The chandelier must be turned off and the light bulbs cool before cleaning. Put an old sheet or towel under the chandelier. Mix 2 teaspoons rubbing alcohol and 1 pint warm water in a spray bottle. Drench the chandelier with this mixture. Edit ArticleHow to Clean Crystal Two Methods:Decorative CrystalFine Stemware and Dinner WareCommunity Q&AWhether on display or in storage, crystal needs to be cleaned using a specific method. Crystal on display should sparkle, and crystal used for dining or drinking should be cleaned before and after use.

It helps to know how to clean crystal of various kinds in order to keep your crystal preserved properly. Wipe decorative crystal objects, such as chandeliers, figurines, pendants, lamps, picture frames, bookends, etc. with a soft, lint-free cloth dampened in a warm water solution of mild detergent and white vinegar. The warm water solution is a mixture of 1 oz. (0.113652 metric cup) mild detergent and 1/4 cup (0.028413 metric cup) of white vinegar because white vinegar will add shine to the crystal. Lint-free cloths are absorbent without leaving behind lint or streaks on your crystal. Wash decorative crystal containers with wide openings, such as some vases or bowls, before and after each use. Fill the item with the warm water solution. Use a baby's bottle brush to move a sponge or soft cloth around the inside of the item. Empty and rinse with clear warm water. Wash decorative containers with narrow openings, such as decanters or bottles, with the warm water mixture.

Fill the container half full. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup (0.028413 to 0.056826 metric cup) of dry white rice or crushed egg shells to the container. Shake the item vigorously so that the water and rice mixture sloshes around in order to clean the insides of the container. Empty the item and rinse with clean warm water. Hand wash fine crystal because dishwashers and detergents can be abrasive and damaging.waterford crystal lamp lismore reflections Line the bottom of the sink with paper towels or a soft towel to prevent damage.chandeliers kijiji calgary Prepare a warm water mix of 1 oz. (0.113652 metric cup) mild detergent and 1/4 cup (0.028413 metric cup) of white vinegar.chandelier rungis Wash each piece separately with the solution to avoid damaging contact between items.

Rinse in clean water. Dry with a lint-free cloth to avoid spots left by air-drying. Store the dried crystal in its original packaging or right side up in a cabinet away from everyday use to avoid contact damage. Fill the crystal with warm water and add a tablet of effervescent denture cleaner to eliminate gray deposits on glass. Handle fine drinking crystal by the bowl and not by the stem or foot to avoid breaking the stem. Ammonia can add luster to crystal, but it is also corrosive in large quantities. Substitute 1/4 cup (0.028413 metric cup) of clear ammonia for the white vinegar. Some crystal is etched with language or artistic designs; use a toothbrush dipped in the warm water mixture to brush dust and dirt out of the etchings. Crystal that is edged with gold, silver, other gilding, or with paint should not be allowed to soak in the warm water mixture. Wash each item with a cloth or sponge dampened with the warm water mixture. Hold larger pieces in a dry towel in the hand you are not using to clean the item.

Wet hands may let the crystal slip. Wash the crystal when it is at room temperature because fine crystal is fragile and temperature sensitive to sharp changes in hot or cold water.You notice the chandelier first, hanging on the porch of a weathered 1910 Craftsman, in sharp contrast to the chop saw lying nearby. Meredith Clark pulls leaded Austrian crystals from Tupperware containers and attaches strands of the delicate beads to a 5-foot-tall steel frame suspended from her roof.It's not the setting where one might expect to find a designer of fine custom chandeliers: A friend's son is napping nearby on the sleeping porch; Clark's own son asks if he can check his e-mail. The path to a workshop behind the house in Silver Lake, Calif., is littered with FedEx boxes, giant bags of packing peanuts and stray wooden crates. Pear-shaped crystals lie on a mat next to a Razor scooter.Just another day at the office, and that's just the way Clark likes it.Little about Clark's rise as a lighting designer has been conventional.

She became interested in chandelier design a decade ago when her boyfriend, a production manager for Shabby Chic, was struggling to find vintage chandeliers. A lightbulb went off."I was home with a 6-month-old child and I thought, `I can make that,'" she says.Growing upTen years after founding her business, Chandi, Clark has seen her chandeliers land in the catalogs of Anthropologie and Neiman Marcus as well as high-profile local stores such as H.D. Buttercup.Formerly a sculptor, Clark was drawn to the look and feel of the vintage glass beads and crystals she found at local flea markets. Using centuries-old French and Italian chandeliers as inspiration, she started piecing together her own fixtures."It was an easy transition for me," she says. "Once I started making them, I realized how much room there was for me to be creative."Her repertoire today covers a range of styles, from romantic loop the loops to modern geometric patterns.Steve Melendrez, owner of the Silver Lake store Living Room, says Clark's chandeliers are true art pieces, designs that have received the dubious compliment of being knocked off by imitators."

She's a trendsetter," he says. "My customers like them, but it's hard for them to get their head around the price."The chandeliers start at $800 and cost as much as $25,000 for the most elaborate custom pieces. Fully leaded crystal, Austrian crystal or English-cut Czech crystal can raise the price substantially, but once a frame is laden with these beauties, it's hard not to reach out and touch each one, sparkling like a jewel.Design homeworkInside Clark's home, rudimentary sketches of frames and teardrop crystals intermingle with her sons' homework on the kitchen table."It's not until I get my hands on it that it takes shape and develops," says Clark, who works with welder Sal Sainz to create steel frames but does all the wiring on-site."A designer who interprets your desires is rare," says Lizanne Judge, a Topanga decorator who has worked with Clark on custom pieces. Clark, she says, is willing to collaborate with clients. "She wants people to have their vision."Clark is complementing her handmade custom designs by teaming with Lisa Nardone of the lighting company Rosie NYC to create an affordable manufactured line produced in India.

Called Sparkle, it premiered in July at a gift show in Atlanta. The pair say they will donate 5 percent of all sales to a fund they established to help women start their own businesses in the U.S. and India.Like many working mothers, Clark says juggling the demands of parenting and a full-time business isn't easy."For a long time, I would stop working in the afternoon and then work at night," says the 35-year-old mother of boys, ages 6 and 9. She now tries to give herself regular work hours, she says, with mixed results.But in an industry obsessed with luxury, she has pulled off the biggest luxury of all: successfully growing a business that she can manage with her children close at hand.- - -Chandelier careChoosing a chandelier can be hard. Keeping it clean can be even harder. Here are some experts' suggestions on how to tackle both challenges:Selection- Size and purpose: Consider the length of the fixture, interior designer Lara Fishman says. How far down will it hang? Do you want it to be decorative or functional?

In a baby's room, a chandelier may be used for sparkle, but in a larger room, it may need to be brighter.- Scale: Don't be put off by large chandeliers, Fishman says. The boundaries of scale can be pushed a bit.Cleaning- No ammonia: "If it's a crystal chandelier, there is no easy way to clean it," says Peter Manukyan, owner of Filament Lighting in L.A., which specializes in the restoration of old fixtures. Spray cleaners that contain ammonia can hurt the metal parts of fixtures, he says. They also can affect wiring and sockets.- Vinegar, soap: Clean removable parts with dish detergent or, better yet, vinegar and water. Wipe down immovable parts with a good cloth.- Maintenance: Smoking and cooking can leave a film and attract dust. "Keep the dust off as much as possible," Manukyan says. "Then you won't have a bigger mess." Dust regularly or use canned air -- the same kind used for computer keyboards.Resources- Flea markets: They're a great resource not only for old chandeliers, but also for parts.