Inspiration & Guides
Materials & Care Guide
Brass, glass, alabaster, wood, silk — each material in your lighting needs slightly different care. A few minutes each season keeps every piece looking its best.
Before you clean
- Switch the fixture off — at the breaker for hardwired fixtures — and let the bulbs cool completely.
- Never spray liquid directly onto a fixture, socket or wiring; apply cleaner to a cloth instead.
- Avoid abrasive pads and harsh or solvent-based cleaners unless noted below.
- Make sure every part is completely dry before switching back on.
- For chandeliers and high fixtures, use a stable ladder and ask someone to help.
Material by material
How to care for each finish
Brass
Dust with a soft, dry microfibre cloth. Lacquered and antique brass finishes don’t need polish — polish can remove the protective coating. Unlacquered brass develops a natural patina over time; that’s part of its character.
Iron & painted metal
Wipe with a dry or barely damp cloth, then dry straight away. Avoid abrasive pads, which can scratch painted and powder-coated finishes.
Glass & crystal
If the shades come off, wash them by hand in warm water with a drop of mild dish soap and dry with a lint-free cloth. For fixed glass and crystal, spray glass cleaner onto the cloth — never onto the fixture.
Alabaster
Dust with a soft, dry cloth or brush only. Alabaster is soft and porous, so keep water, cleaning products and oils away from it. Every piece has its own veining and translucency.
Travertine & marble
Dust with a dry cloth. For marks, use a cloth dampened with water and a pH-neutral stone cleaner. Avoid vinegar, lemon and other acidic cleaners, which can etch the surface.
Wood
Dust with a dry, soft cloth, following the grain. Keep wood away from water and prolonged direct heat, and skip silicone polish sprays.
Rattan, bamboo & woven
Use a soft brush, or a vacuum with a brush attachment on low. If needed, wipe with a barely damp cloth and let it dry completely before switching on.
Silk & fabric shades
Use a lint roller, or a vacuum with a brush attachment on low. Don’t wet silk — water can leave marks. For stains, contact us before trying anything.
Paper & washi
Dust gently with a soft, dry brush. Keep paper shades dry, and use only the bulb type and wattage listed for the fixture.
Ceramic, plaster & resin
Dust with a dry cloth. Glazed ceramic and resin can be wiped with a damp cloth; unglazed plaster is porous, so keep it dry.
Outdoor fixtures
A few times a year, wipe down with a damp cloth and mild soap — apply it to the cloth, not the fixture. Check that glass, seals and screws are secure, and clear leaves or insects from the housing.
Bulbs
Always use the bulb type, base and maximum wattage listed on the product page or fixture label. See our Light Bulb Guide for help choosing.
Not sure how to clean your piece?
Send us a photo and the product name, and we’ll tell you the safest way to care for it.
Phone: Mon–Fri, 9 AM–9 PM ET. We aim to reply to every email within 1 business day.
Material by material
Know what you are cleaning.
Each material in our lighting ages its own way. Here is the short version for each, the pieces people order most in it, and where to read more.
Brass is alive: it warms and darkens with time.
- Dry microfiber cloth, no polish on lacquered brass
- Fingerprints: a barely damp cloth, then dry
- Unlacquered brass will patina; that is the point
Glass shows every speck, and every bit of care.
- Take shades off; warm water and a drop of mild soap
- Dry with a lint-free cloth before refitting
- Never spray cleaner onto the fixture itself
Soft stone. It glows because light passes through it.
- Dry soft cloth or a soft brush only
- Keep water and cleaners well away: the stone is porous
- Veining and cloudiness are natural, not flaws
Solid wood keeps moving with the seasons.
- Dry, soft cloth along the grain
- Keep it away from steam and direct heat
- A little color change in sunlight is normal
Stone that has taken millennia; give it ten seconds.
- Dry cloth; for marks, water and a pH-neutral cleaner
- No vinegar, lemon or acidic sprays
- Pits and veins are part of real stone
Light materials, light touch.
- A feather duster or a hair dryer on cool
- Keep paper and silk dry; spot-clean rattan with a barely damp cloth
- Use LED bulbs: they stay cool
