How to clean crystal, glass & brass chandeliers.

Like anything else in your home, chandeliers require regular maintenance and cleaning to continue looking sparkling and beautiful. Luckily, cleaning crystal, brass, and glass chandeliers doesn’t have to be a difficult process.

If you’re wondering how to get the job done before a holiday or big event, keep reading for the best products and methods to keep your chandeliers sparkling.

Cleaning a chandelier doesn’t require lots of harsh cleaning products. Instead, the best ingredients to clean chandeliers may already be in your cabinet.

To clean your crystal chandelier or glass chandelier, you need:

• Dish soap
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Microfiber cloths
• A spray bottle
• Distilled water
• Cleaning gloves

For best results, you should clean crystal and glass chandeliers using a combination of either dish soap or isopropyl alcohol and distilled water. Regardless of which solution you choose, you should wear cleaning gloves throughout the process to prevent fingerprints.

If you’ve been worried that the only way to clean your chandelier on a high ceiling is to take it down and completely disassemble it, we have good news.

For regular maintenance, you can usually clean your chandelier while it’s still hanging up and fully intact.

Here are 6 basic rules for cleaning a hanging chandelier:

1. Always turn off the power to the chandelier before working.
2. Set up alternative lighting so you can see while cleaning.
3. Wear cleaning gloves to prevent fingerprints.
4. Place a drop cloth or towel under the fixture to catch any mess.
5. Only use soft microfiber cleaning cloths with the either cleaning mixture mentioned above.
6. Don’t rotate the chandelier while cleaning, as this could loosen supports.

Disassembling a chandelier annually may be necessary for deep cleaning.

If you have an old, tarnished, or very dirty chandelier that needs a more thorough cleaning, here’s how to safely disassemble it and get the job done:

1. Similarly to when you clean a hanging chandelier, cut the power and place a drop cloth on the floor to catch drips and debris.
2. Take photos of your chandelier to capture the unique hanging pattern. You could also draw it or write down notes on how it’s put together.
3. Remove chandelier pieces in small sections using needle nose pliers or the appropriate tool.
4. Clean the piece individually with a damp cloth, then rehang before removing the next piece to avoid confusion.
5. If your chandelier’s hanging pattern is too intricate or the fixture is too high to reach, call a professional cleaner to prevent possible damage or injury.

For more deep cleaning tricks, watch this video:

Regardless of what kind of chandelier you have, the first step to keeping it sparkling clean is regular dusting. Use a duster every two to three months to remove dust and build-up from the surface of the chandelier.

Here are some other tips to keep every kind of chandelier looking bright and shiny.