Steve Hanson

If you clean residential homes, then you may get cleaning requests from your clients that are outside the scope of your usual checklist. Cleaning lamps would fall under this category, so you should charge an extra fee for this service.

So how do you clean lamps? First, gather your equipment and supplies:

• Drop cloth
• Microfiber cloths (one damp, one dry)
• Bucket of water to rinse microfiber cloth
• Wood or metal polish (depending on the surfaces being cleaned)
• Vacuum with brush attachment
• Soft bristled brush
• Towels

Lamp cleaning procedures:

1. Cover the floor with a drop cloth to protect it from dust and debris, and put the lamp on the drop cloth.
2. Unplug the lamp, remove the shade and unscrew the light bulb(s). The bulb(s) will be cleaned later so put them in a safe place for now.
3. Clean the entire lamp including the cord, with the damp microfiber cloth. Be careful not to get the plug or light socket wet.
4. Rinse the microfiber cloth as necessary in bucket of water.
5. Dry lamp with the dry microfiber cloth.
6. Wipe the light bulb(s) with damp microfiber cloth and dry with dry cloth.
7. If customer requests it, use wood or metal cleaner to polish the lamp. Note: most lamps will not need this extra step.
8. To clean the lamp shade, vacuum it inside and out using a brush attachment.
9. If the shade is made of plastic or material other than fabric, wipe the shade inside and out with damp microfiber cloth.
10. Dry the shade with dry microfiber cloth.
11. If the lamp shade is made of fabric, use extra caution, as colors may bleed. If possible, remove any non-washable trim to prevent damage and bleeding.
12. Clean the fabric shade in a large container or in the bathtub. Fill the tub with cool water and use a mild cleaner such as dishwashing detergent. Gently clean with a soft bristled brush.
13. If the water gets dirty, refill the tub and wash a second time.
14. Rinse the shade by dipping it several times in clean water. You may need to change the water two or three times.
15. Dry the shade with towels, or let the shade air dry by attaching a string to the frame and hanging it over the tub or outside on a clothesline. Wipe the frame dry so it doesn't rust or corrode. Put the bulb(s) and shade back on the lamp and turn it on to let the heat from the bulb complete the drying process.

Note: Cleaning fabric lamp shades can be risky. If it's not something you feel comfortable doing, find a cleaning service that specializes in lamp shade cleaning and refer your customer to them.

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Steve Hanson helps owners of small cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through his online community at TheJanitorialStore.com. Read inspirational cleaning success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com, and sign up for weekly cleaning tips at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com.