You Won't Have To Look Past Your Bar Next Time You Want To Clean Your Chandelier

A chandelier is an ornamental light fixture that exudes class and elegance. Considered a part of luxurious décor, this statement lighting piece brightens up a room, creating an inviting atmosphere. But being suspended from the ceiling, a chandelier is also susceptible to dirt, dust, cobwebs, and other pollutants in the air, elements that can reduce its aesthetic appeal and dim its sparkle. Luckily, though, your home bar has an easy solution to this common problem. Next time you go to clean your chandelier, simply pull out the vodka to restore the fixture to its former glory.

Besides twinkling happily and illuminating your room, a clean chandelier lasts longer and is more energy efficient. Wondering how? Well, the accumulated layer of dirt and dust consumes and wastes a considerable amount of energy. Thus, a clean chandelier will draw less power and help you save money on your electricity bills. While your chandelier's location and the climate will determine its cleaning frequency, it's a good practice to dust it regularly to take care of the cobwebs and surface-level dust. However, you must deep clean your chandeliers at least once or twice per year to keep them looking good as new.

The first step in deep cleaning your chandelier is to move all furniture under this light fixture or cover them with a cloth or tarp to keep them clean. Cover the floor area under the chandelier as well with a padded blanket to safely catch any pieces that detach and fall down. Next, switch off the chandelier lights and wait for the bulbs to cool down. Now, grab a ladder to reach the fixture, cover your face with a cloth, and use a microfiber duster to get rid of the cobwebs and as much loose dirt and debris as possible.

Once satisfied, climb down the ladder and get the bottle of vodka from your bar. Mix 4 teaspoons of vodka with 1 pint (or about 900 milliliters) of water to prepare your cleaning solution. After the solution is ready, transfer the cleaning mix to a spray bottle and spray it generously on a cloth before climbing back up the ladder to clean your chandelier. Don't forget to put on a pair of cotton gloves to avoid leaving behind dirty smears.

Even though vodka is often slotted in the same cheap, effective, and versatile cleaning tool category as vinegar, it's better than its counterpart since it evaporates relatively quickly. Plus, the grain alcohol is odorless. In fact, its lack of smell is what makes vodka the ideal alcohol cleaning solution for items like chandeliers since the distilled alcoholic beverage won't leave your room smelling like a bar.

The best part, though? You won't have to sink money in top-shelf vodka to clean your home's chandelier or any other item you're looking to shine up and disinfect. The cheap stuff collecting dust at the bottom of your home bar will work just fine. Additionally, vodka is better than ammonia-based and certain glass cleaners, as the ammonia in them can damage the finish of your light fixture. Such harsh chemical cleaners will also ruin silver- and gold-painted hooks — if your chandelier happens to have such ornaments.