7 Methods For Cleaning Glass Pendant Lights Like A Pro

We have some hanging glass pendant lights in our kitchen from West Elm, and while I love them, they can get pretty nasty and dirty. I’ve tried many different methods of cleaning them, and I have found 5 favorite ways to quickly and easily clean your hanging glass pendant lights!

There are many methods to clean your glass pendant light depending on how dirty your fixture is or how much time you have. For a deep clean, use dish soap and water or make a paste out of baking soda and vinegar. For a quick, light clean you can use a natural based cleaner and a paper towel or water and a polishing cloth.

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How To Clean Glass Pendant Lights

Cleaning your glass pendant lights can be a major pain. They look beautiful and modern but get dusty and foggy in no time. I tend to neglect mine until they get so bad that I can’t stand it any longer. Since I often don’t have the time or motivation to completely remove the glass shade, I wanted to find some easy ways to clean the lights while keeping everything intact. I will discuss a version where you have to remove the glass shade if you are really in a deep cleaning mode.

When cleaning a glass pendant, it’s important to keep a few things in mind. First of all, don’t spray too much cleaner. Less is usually more when you are going for a streak-free shine on your glass. If you don’t have newspaper or microfiber cloth, try a dry coffee filter instead to wipe away your cleaner! Also, be sure to be careful around the electrical components of the light when you are cleaning around the light bulb area. Lastly, it’s a good rule of thumb NOT to use vinegar on the metal pendant light portion of your fixture as vinegar can ruin some metal finishes.

1. Remove the glass pendant and use dish soap and water.

If your glass pendant is particularly dirty and you want to do a deep clean, it’s best to remove the glass shade. Using a bit of dish soap and water will help get rid of built up dirt and even grease.

Materials

• Dish Soap
• Water
• Soft Cloth

Directions:

1. Turn off the light and wait for the bulb to completely cool down before handling.
2. Use a screwdriver to carefully remove the glass shade (or whatever tools your particular light fixture requires).
3. Wash the glass shade with dish soap and water. You can soak the glass in a bowl of soapy water if it’s particularly dirty. Be sure to check that the dish soap is glass-safe (as advised by this article from pooky.com)
4. Dry the glass with a soft, lint free cloth.
5. Remove the light bulb and use a microfiber cloth to clean the pendant attached to the ceiling.
6. Reassemble your light and it’s as good as new!

Cleaning Power: Heavy Duty Time: 15 Minutes Cost: $

2. Glass Cleaner and Newspaper

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If you want an easy fix without having to make your own cleaning concoction, Windex will do the trick. Although it might not be the most toxic-free choice, it will work in a pinch.

Materials:

• Windex
• Newspaper
• Microfiber Cloth

Directions:

1. For a deeper clean, remove the glass shade and bulb.
2. Spray windex on the glass shade and use a newspaper to wipe away the Windex until it is clean and streak-free
3. Spray a small amount of Windex on a microfiber cloth to clean any dirt or grease on the pendant attached to the ceiling.
4. Wipe the bulb with a clean cloth to remove any dust.
5. Reassemble your light.

Cleaning Power: Medium Time: 10 Minutes Cost: $$

3. Water and a glass polishing cloth

If you have a glass polishing cloth on hand, this method is so easy because all you need is water! This is a great trick for quickly getting rid of smudges, however, it might not be the best method if there is a lot of built up dust on your glass.

Materials:

• Glass Polishing Cloth
• Water

Directions:

1. Remove the glass shade and bulb
2. Get a rag wet with plain water and use it to wipe down the glass shade.
3. Immediately wipe the wet glass with a polishing cloth until it is dry and streak-free.
4. Use the same wet rag to wipe down any parts of the pendant that are dirty.
5. Immediately follow with the polishing cloth to wipe down the hanging pendant.
6. Reassemble the hanging light.

Cleaning Power: Light Time: 5 Minutes Cost: $$

4. Water and Vinegar

Water and vinegar is one of the most frugal and easy ways to clean glass. Almost everyone already has these ingredients on hand and can quickly whip up a mixture to get those glass pendant lights clean in no time.

Materials:

• Distilled White Vinegar
• Water
• Newspaper
• Microfiber Cloth

Directions:

1. Disassemble your glass shade and remove the light bulb.
2. Make 50/50 mixture of distilled white vinegar and tap water in a spray bottle.
3. Spray the glass down with the vinegar mixture and wipe with a newspaper or lint-free cloth until it is dry and streak-free
4. Use a dry cloth to wipe off any dust or grime from the hanging pendant. (Do NOT use the vinegar on the metal pendant as it might damage the metal).
5. Wipe off the bulb with a dry microfiber cloth.
6. Reassemble your clean pendant light.

Cleaning Power: Medium Time: 5 Minutes Cost: $

5. Vinegar and Baking Soda Paste For Grease

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If you notice that your glass pendant light has stubborn grease and grime, then you will probably need to do a little more heavy duty cleaning. This is particularly an issue for a light fixture in a kitchen, near an oven or stove. The good news is that vinegar and baking soda is an easy and natural way to take care of that grease and grime buildup!

Materials:

• Distilled white vinegar
• Baking Soda
• Cloth

Directions:

1. Disassemble your glass pendant.
2. Mix baking soda and vinegar to create a paste. You will need about 1/4 cup of baking soda along with a few tablespoons of vinegar.
3. Apply the paste to the glass shade and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
4. Wipe off the paste with a wet, soft cloth. The baking soda will help gently scrub off any grime.
5. Dry the glass with a microfiber cloth or newspaper.
6. Reassemble your clean light.

Cleaning Power: Heavy Duty Time: 15 Minutes Cost: $

6. Rubbing Alcohol, Water and Vinegar

Using rubbing alcohol in your glass cleaner is a great method because it evaporates quickly. This is a good, fast way to get your glass clean, shiny and streak-free! If you are in a rush, you can spray this on the glass without removing it first, (just be careful around the metal pendant and only spray it on the glass)

Materials:

• 1 cup Rubbing Alcohol
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Tablespoon White Distilled Vinegar
• Newspaper
• Microfiber Cloth

1. Use a screwdriver to carefully remove the glass shade (or whatever tools your particular light fixture requires).
2. Mix up the rubbing alcohol, water and vinegar in a glass spray bottle. Spray it on the glass and wipe with a newspaper.
3. Use a dry, microfiber cloth to clean the hanging pendant attached to the ceiling.
4. Reassemble your light fixture.

Cleaning Power: Medium Time: 5 Minutes Cost: $

7. Use A Natural, Plant Based Cleaner and A Paper Towel

I love Thieves cleaner from Young Living (no, I don’t sell Young Living, I’m just a major fan of this cleaner!). It’s non-toxic and is great for cleaning glass and mirrors. This is my go-to method for cleaning my hanging pendant lights because I usually have Thieves cleaner on hand and I can quickly clean the glass without having to disassemble the light fixture if I’m in a hurry.

Materials Needed:

• Thieves Cleaner
• Paper Towel

Directions:

1. Use a screwdriver to carefully remove the glass shade (or whatever tools your particular light fixture requires). Or, leave it intact and just remove the bulb if you are in a hurry!
2. Spray the glass with the Thieves cleaner and wipe it with a paper towel.

Cleaning Power: Medium Time: 5 Minutes Cost: $$

For more tips and tricks on cleaning, check out this helpful post:

• How To Clean Furniture From The Thrift Store

Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Kitchens