How to Clean Your Light Fixtures

While there are very few electrical tasks you should attempt on your own, without the assistance of an experienced professional, cleaning your light fixtures periodically is not a bad idea. In fact, both to get the desired look out of your appliances and just for general cleanliness, giving your fixtures a periodic wash and wipe-down is not only okay, but recommended. However, anytime you are doing anything related to your electrical system, it is important to keep safety in mind, and follow proper procedure. Keep reading to learn how to clean your light fixtures the right way from our experienced electricians, and make sure to hire Service Today! for all your other lighting needs.

7 Steps to Successfully Clean Your Light Fixtures

  1. Turn off your lights and wait at least half an hour before beginning the cleaning process. The last thing you want is to burn your hand on a lightbulb while cleaning a fixture. You’ll be able to see if your light is still hot by just putting your hand near the bulb (don’t put your hand on it until you’re completely sure it’s cool.)
  2. Make sure you have a microfiber cloth or electrostatic duster before cleaning. This will allow you to effectively wipe dust off of bulbs, covers, and fixtures.
  3. Prep a small amount of water and dish soap. Remember, you don’t need a lot to get your lights clean—and getting them overly wet is much worse.
  4. Take off all light covers. These are usually held in place by clips or thumb screws. Make sure you use two hands to do this, both for efficiency, and to prevent the cover from accidentally falling on the floor and breaking. Be especially careful as you come to that last screw and get ready to dump any dust, dirt, or dead bugs (yuck) in the garbage—that cover can come off a lot faster than you are expecting!
  5. Soak your covers in the mix of soapy water between 5 and 10 minutes. A lot of people think you need to clean these parts individually, but unless your covers are especially dirty, soaking is more efficient. While this is going on, you should wipe your lightbulbs down with a cleaning solution and dry them with a paper or cloth towel. Keep in mind, light bulbs break easily, so you may want to wear gloves to prevent your fingers from getting hurt by errant shards.
  6. Wipe your fixtures down directly with a microfiber cloth and cleaning solution, including toggles and switches. Try to avoid getting any water or cleaning solution directly in the fixtures, as this could interfere with their wiring and create an unsafe situation.
  7. Scrub away any leftover grime from the covers. Give them a final rinse in water if you want, then towel dry them with a microfiber cloth before putting bulbs and covers back on your fixtures and finishing the job.

For more simple electrical maintenance tips, call (888) 998-2032, or just click here to request an appointment online.