How to Dust Lamp Shades

Dust lamp shades with feather dusters for light cleaning.

With so many household surfaces to clean and dust, it's no wonder that lamp shades sometimes get neglected. Unfortunately, turning your lamps on brings attention to this situation. Lamp shades, whether made of fine fabric or cardboard, need to be treated delicately. There are some simple and safe ways to clean a lamp shade to keep dust in check.

Things You'll Need

• Feather duster
• Dusting cloth
• Hair dryer
• Soft bristle brush
• Cheesecloth
• Adhesive lint roller
• Clean cloth

Instructions

1. Dust your lamp with a feather duster for everyday upkeep and light cleaning jobs. Feather dusters are one of the safest ways to clean off dusty lamp shades. Wipe off surrounding surfaces to keep dust at bay.

2. Use a hair dryer for a slightly dustier lamp shade. Turn the hair dryer on low. Blow it over the surface of shade but do not touch the shade directly. Make sure the hair dryer does not heat up too much while you are using it or you will risk burning or melting your lamp shade.

3. Take the lamp shade off the lamp base for tough jobs. Place the shade on a stable surface like a table. Loosen compacted or excess dust on your lamp shade by brushing with a soft bristle brush or lightly rubbing with cheesecloth. Remove loosened dirt by rolling an adhesive lint roller over the surface in a vertical direction. Peel the lint roller to keep its surface sticky, as needed. Wipe off the inside of the lamp shade with a clean cloth before putting the shade back on the lamp base.

Tips & Warnings

• Dust your lamp shades frequently to keep dust from compacting.

• Use a clean gum eraser to clean up small marks on a paper or cardboard lamp shade.

• Be very careful if using a lint roller on a delicate silk lamp shade.

• Never use soap and water on a lamp shade.

References

• Martha Stewart: Lamp Shades
• Martha Stewart: Keeping Lamp Shades Clean