Benjamin Franklin, in his time, invented many things that he never quite understood but the one that changed our lives forever was electricity. Electricity pretty much rules our lives to this day. It is impossible to imagine our lives without the little technological advances we use in our everyday lives. From a toaster, to a smart television to Wi-Fi, without these, life would, as some say, cease to move forward.

While electricity is extremely beneficial and useful, it is equally as dangerous. If you are facing an electrical issue at home, you might be tempted to manage it yourself to save the money you would otherwise have to spend on calling in an electrician. You should know that the professional electricians are there for a reason.

They know and understand the dangers that come with the job. They are licensed and have proper training, which you do not. Working with the wiring of a house is much like brain surgery: one wrong move and the entire body can get paralyzed.

Now that paints quite a picture, doesn’t it? It is quite hectic to find an electrician when there are countless people out there that claim to be a master in the trade but actually do not even have a license. They do it just for the money. This has made electricians underdogs. Essential as they may be, they are underrated.

Before discussing how much you should pay an electrician, it is first important to understand what an electrician does in the first place and also why you need to hire one whenever there is an electrical problem. Now, let’s suppose that you walk into a room and flick the switch on. You expect the room to be instantly lit. But what would you do if the lights don’t come on? It is common behavior that many would immediately assume the power went out and check if that is the case.

If it is not, they call an electrician. It is important to keep in mind that a qualified electrician is the only one you should call for any kind of electrical job, which can range from installing small light fixtures to total rewiring of the house.

If you hire an unlicensed electrician for the job, you would be compromising on the quality of the work done and there would be safety hazards as well. One should know that electrical work, much like any other job, requires training. In most cases, an electrician is required to complete 5 years’ worth of education as well as roughly 10,000 hours of on-the-job training to get a license.

Surprised now, aren’t you? These electricians are taught vigorously how to work safely with electrical systems as well as how to abide by codes and laws, which is something an uncertified electrician would never know.

This job brings many hazards with it and so electricians are superheroes that put their lives at stake to bring your life to ease. In Oregon, an electrician on average makes $42,000 a year, which is fair considering the risks. Not to mention, they have spent the best part of a decade honing their craft to obtain their license and they have to make up for the time and cost involved in that. So, as you can see, the price they charge is worth paying because you get the best possible service.

So, before you think about how much you should or shouldn’t pay an electrician, think of the dangers that come with the job and what you would have to go through if you didn’t have an electrician to fix your problem, be it a high-voltage one or a low-voltage one. Hence, it won’t be wrong to say that they are competent professionals who possess certain skills which the average homeowner in Oregon doesn’t.

This is why it is important that you call an electrician every time you face an electrical issue at home. If you try to repair the problem yourself, you put your wellbeing at risk. Not to mention, any mishap with the electrical system can lead to a fire breaking out. In fact, your inexperience can actually cause more harm than good, resulting in you spending more on getting the work done than you would have to in the first place.

Crystal chandeliers have come a long way from the days as traditional, stately pieces only enjoyed in the most formal of spaces and positioned to impress guests in the dining room or the foyer. Crystal’s are found in various lighting applications of all shapes and sizes and their sparkling, elegant affect is energizing areas of the home from powder room and office to kitchen and bath.

More crystal means more cleaning, but it does not have to be too taxing. A few simple guidelines will help to keep your crystal chandeliers looking their best.

How to clean it

If you do not wish to remove the crystal components from the piece, you can use a spray. After the piece is sprayed, wipe off the solution with white cotton gloves. Crystal chandelier manufacturer Schonbek recommends a solution of one part isopropyl alcohol to three parts distilled water, while Waterford’’s chief lighting designer Billy Canning says hot soapy water will do the trick. Both agree that special cleaning formulas aren’’t needed.

“A real no-no in the area of cleaning chandeliers: …If the chandelier is adorned with a traditional polished gold finish or polished silver finish but it i’s not stainless steel, people will use these sprays that you can buy,” says Eileen Schonbek Beer, Creative Director for Schonbek Worldwide Lighting. “Basically, what the manufacturers say is you spray the chandelier and let the stuff drip off, that cleans the crystal. But in fact what it does is ruin the frames of the chandelier.”

If more aggressive cleaning is needed, the crystal parts will need to be removed from the frame. The crystals can then be hand-washed in soapy water, rinsed clean and dried with a cloth. Schonbek provides trim diagrams that detail reassembly of the chandelier.

For dusting between cleanings, Schonbek recommends using a feather duster, lambswool duster or a make-up brush.

How often to clean it

In general, crystal should be cleaned every two to six months. The frequency of cleaning required depends on where it is used and how easy it is to get to the piece.  According to Canning, extremely large pieces like 20-foot chandeliers can get away with being cleaned only once a year.

Since crystal lighting is being featured in virtually every room of the house these days, some pieces may need more frequent cleanings based on their location. Chandeliers used in kitchens will need more detailed cleaning due to oil and grease buildup, as well as dust sticking to the components due to moisture from sinks and stoves.

“The beauty of crystal, of course, is the prismatic refraction of the light passing through the crystal ornament,” says Beer. “So the minute it’s got any kind of residue of dust or even moisture — like in moist climates in Florida — the humidity will cause dust to adhere to the crystal and the salt in the air will kind of make it cloudy. So you actually have to clean crystal pretty regularly.”

Maintaining a regular cleaning schedule for crystal will always keep it sparkling. Yet if a piece is neglected, all it takes is a little extra effort with the methods listed above to make it shine like new.

“In my personal experience, I have been asked by many auction houses to identify Waterford products many times,” says Canning. “In most cases the difficulty with identification would have been that the chandelier was allowed to get dirty and the crystal would appear dull. But in all cases, when properly cleaned, they can look as good as the day they were bought.”

For the Chore-Challenged

For customers who aren’t ready to get into the nitty gritty of cleaning their crystal by hand, suggest the Da Vinci chandelier from the Geometrix collection by Schonbek. The crystals stay attached to a stainless steel frame that can be placed directly in the dishwasher. The Da Vinci is available in a 10-inch or 36-inch diameter. The only Da Vinci that will not make it to the dishwasher is the dramatic 5-foot model.

Electricity savings help customers to reduce the energy bills and environmental degradation. With technology becoming more affordable, most households are increasingly relying on electrical appliances. However, inefficient equipment or usage ends up costing the consumer more money unnecessarily.  Low electricity consumption not only saves the energy costs, but also means using less fossil fuel, nuclear and coal to generate the power.

Consumers have all the control on their power needs, and the best way to achieve electricity savings is by understanding all the requirements and then optimizing the way they use the appliances. While some users might not be aware of the many small things they can do to reduce their reduce electricity costs.