Cleaning a crystal chandelier isn’t as daunting as it may appear. These precious fixtures require a little more love and care than a desk lamp, but you can restore and maintain your crystal’s shine with common household products and a little know-how.

Everyday Care

If your chandelier is still sparkling clean, simply dust the fixture with a lambswool or feather duster every few weeks. Keep your strokes light, since leaded crystal is softer than glass—even dust can scratch it. Be sure to walk around the fixture as you dust, rather than spinning it towards you. Twisting the fixture can strain the wiring or loosen its support.

Spring Cleaning

Eventually, the fixture will need a more thorough cleaning, especially if it’s in a high-traffic area or kitchen. Mid-size chandeliers are still manageable at this stage, provided you have some clean, lint-free rags, isopropyl alcohol, and a little elbow grease.

Before touching the chandelier, follow rule number one: turn off the power to the room when dealing with a ceiling fixture. At least flip the light switch off and tape it so no one will accidentally turn the light on while you’re working. Set up an alternative light source to aid the cleaning. Once the chandelier bulbs have cooled, cover them with plastic snack bags and secure with a rubber band.

Fill a spray bottle with one part isopropyl alcohol and three parts distilled water. Spray on one section of the chandelier at a time, then wipe off with a white cotton glove or lint-free cloth, making sure you dry the frame as well as the crystal. This solution will clarify the crystal and help remove the haze, but is gentler than ammonia on crystal with a design or edge finish. Even so, gently wipe away after spraying and don’t allow the fixture to drip dry. This will help preserve the frame.

Try cleaning your chandelier every two to six months with the alcohol solution, depending on whether the fixture is in a high-traffic area or not.

Heavy Restoration

If your fixture hasn’t been cleaned in a long time (or just needs extra attention), you can go an extra step before calling a professional. This is where a digital camera comes in handy, as you’ll need to remove individual pendants for a more thorough washing. Take pictures of the connections for reference later, then carefully remove the pendants. You may need a pair of needle-nose pliers to help disengage the pendants from the fixture.

Fill a sink with warm water and some gentle dish soap. Carefully wash each crystal piece and rinse in warm water to avoid any drastic temperature shifts. Set the pendants on a clean cloth to dry. Then simply rehang the pendants and enjoy your sparkling fixture!

Every home uses energy in one form or the other; and in most instances, this electricity comes from the power grid. Statistics indicate that almost 50% of a home’s energy is used by its HVAC systems while about 12% goes into the lighting. Most property owners presume that all the energy-efficiency upgrades happen through various home improvement upgrades such as replacement of wooden windows and doors with energy-efficient 2 or 3-paned vinyl windows etc.

While these changes do add to the energy-efficiency of your home, there are a number of electrical systems and maintenance upgrades that can significantly improve your energy usage, such as:

It’s not uncommon for us to occasionally leave the lights on when we leave a room. Or there may be times when we leave the deck, patio or poolscapes lights on all night with the security aspect in view. These types of habits can become a significant energy drain, but there is a way to curb that. We can install motion sensor lighting in the exterior spaces of your home; the lights will get switched on only when the sensor picks up any movement within its range. This helps you save energy without compromising on the safety factor in any way.

Most people don’t realise that their local electrician can help them when they are upgrading to energy efficient appliances. The fact of the matter is that simply replacing older appliances with ones that have high energy star ratings may not always help them reduce their electricity bills.

When you upgrade the appliances in your home such as air-conditioners, dryers, dishwashers and washing machines etc., these appliances tend to need a higher wattage compared to the older ones; this means the upgrade may actually strain the circuit breakers and your electrical system. It’s important to get a skilled electrician to come and check whether the existing wiring and system is built to bear the higher electrical loads that the newer, advanced systems need.

Inadequate or improper insulation is one more major sources of energy loss on most properties. And if you are considering a home renovation/remodelling/extension project, it’s a good idea to upgrade the insulation in your house as well.

Today, many property owners are quite committed to opting for eco-friendly alternatives to many materials and systems. If you feel you want to reduce your carbon footprint, you might want to consider installing solar panels in your home. This can significantly reduce your reliance on grid power.

Upgrading appliances or making major electrical upgrades can sometimes prove to be an expensive proposition and may not fit into everyone’s budget. This is why it’s important to know how to make some smaller changes that will also add to your home’s energy-efficiency. Some things that can make a big difference are: