How to Clean a Lampshade: Fabric, Pleated, Paper and Glass

To clean a lampshade, unplug the lamp, let the bulb cool and take the shade off, then match the method to the material. Most fabric shades only need dusting with a lint roller, soft brush or vacuum brush every week or two, plus a sudsy wipe for marks. Paper and parchment shades stay dry. Glass and plastic shades can be washed in warm, soapy water once they are cool.

Before you start

A few minutes of prep keeps the shade in shape and keeps water away from the electrical parts.

1. Switch off and unplug the lamp, then wait for the bulb to cool. A hot bulb can burn your hand, and glass shades can crack if they go from hot to cool water too quickly.
2. Remove the shade. Unscrew the finial on top, or lift a clip-on shade straight off the bulb. Carry it by the wire frame or fitting, not by squeezing the sides, which can dent or crease it.
3. Look for a care tag or printed instructions inside the shade and follow them first.
4. Note what holds it together. Many shades are glued, and trims such as beading, fringe or ribbon are often glued on too. Glue is the reason most shades should never be soaked.
5. Work over a towel so the dust and hair you remove don’t land on the table or rug.

How do you dust a lampshade?

Dust a lampshade inside and out with a dry tool: a sticky lint roller on smooth fabric, a soft clean paintbrush or makeup brush in pleats and trim, or a vacuum upholstery brush on low suction. Work from the top down so dust falls toward areas you haven’t cleaned yet, and finish the inside, where dust and insects collect.

• Lint roller: roll in short, overlapping strips around the shade. It’s the fastest way to lift dust and pet hair from smooth linen or cotton. Masking tape wrapped sticky-side out around your hand does the same job.
• Soft brush: pleated shades trap dust in every fold. Brush down each pleat, not across it, so you don’t bend the fabric.
• Vacuum upholstery brush: keep the suction low. Lampshade maker Pooky suggests stretching a stocking over the attachment to protect delicate fringe.
• Hair dryer on cool: Pooky also suggests a hair dryer on the cool setting, held about 8 to 10 inches away, to blow dust out of trims. Never use heat on a shade.

How do you clean marks off a fabric lampshade?

For light marks on a fabric shade, use suds, not a soaked cloth. Whip a little mild detergent into lukewarm water, dip a microfiber cloth into the foam, and wipe in sections. Clean the whole shade, not just the spot, because spot-cleaning one area can leave a ring or tide mark.

1. Dust the shade first so you aren’t rubbing dust into wet fabric.
2. Remove or cover any trim that isn’t washable.
3. Work the suds over the fabric section by section with light pressure.
4. For stains, dab or blot. Pooky warns that rubbing a stain can make the color run.
5. Wipe away the soap with a clean cloth that is barely damp, then blot with a dry towel.
6. Let the shade air dry upright in a ventilated spot out of direct sun. Make sure it is completely dry before it goes back on the lamp.

Can you wash a lampshade in water?

Some fabric shades can be washed, but check the tag first. Lampshade maker Fenchel Shades describes soaking a fabric shade halfway up in lukewarm water with about a teaspoon of mild detergent for around ten minutes, turning it so every side soaks evenly, then rinsing it in clean lukewarm water and letting it dry upright. Pooky recommends cool water for glued shades and a professional cleaner for silk, embroidered, heavily beaded, antique or painted shades. Our advice: if the shade is glued, delicate or valuable, or the tag says dry clean only, don’t soak it.

How do you clean a paper or parchment lampshade?

Keep paper and parchment shades completely dry. Wear clean cotton or rubber gloves so skin oils don’t mark the paper, support the shade from inside with one hand, and wipe from top to bottom with a dry microfiber cloth, turning to a clean section as it picks up dust. Fenchel Shades suggests an art gum eraser for small marks and insect specks. Water and spray cleaners can warp, stain or soften paper, and a yellowed or brittle paper shade is usually a sign it’s time to replace it rather than clean it.

How do you clean a glass or plastic lampshade?

Let a glass or plastic shade cool completely, then wash it by hand in lukewarm water with a few drops of dish soap, using a soft sponge or microfiber cloth inside and out. Skip harsh cleaners and scrubbing, which can scratch the surface or wear off a printed design, and dry it with a clean microfiber towel.

Fenchel Shades is firm that a lampshade should never go in the dishwasher. For a glass shade that is fixed in place, wipe it with a damp microfiber cloth instead of trying to remove it. If you clean the glass on a ceiling light at the same time, our guide to cleaning a ceiling fan and its light kit covers the ladder and bulb safety steps.

Don’t forget the bulb, harp and base

• Bulb: with the lamp unplugged and the bulb cool, wipe it with a dry microfiber cloth. Dust on the bulb dims the light you get.
• Harp and finial: the metal frame that holds the shade can be wiped with a slightly damp cloth and dried.
• Base: wipe ceramic, glass and metal bases with a cloth lightly dampened with soapy water, then dry. Dust wood bases and wipe them with a barely damp cloth, never a wet one.
• Socket, switch and cord: keep water away. Put any cleaner on the cloth, never spray it toward the lamp. The same rule applies to light switches and outlet covers.

Never mix cleaning products. A little dish soap and water is all a lamp needs.

How often should you clean a lampshade?

Fenchel Shades recommends dusting shades weekly so dust and cobwebs don’t settle into the material. Our rule of thumb is to dust them whenever you dust the room, and to give fabric shades a sudsy wipe once or twice a year or whenever marks appear. Homes that collect dust quickly, including many in East County during windy, dry spells, may need it more often; our guide to why houses get dusty so fast explains where that dust comes from.

When to replace a shade instead

Some damage won’t clean out. Replace a shade that is scorched, warped, brittle, deeply yellowed or water-stained. A brown scorch mark near the top usually means the bulb is too hot for the shade or sits too close to it: check the maximum wattage printed near the socket and use that wattage or less, such as an LED bulb. Antique, silk and hand-painted shades are worth taking to a specialist rather than experimenting at home.

How Suddenly Clean handles lamps

On a Standard cleaning, our Vetted Cleaning Professionals dust accessible furniture, surfaces and décor. A Deep Cleaning adds detailed dusting and wiping, plus reachable light fixtures. Taking shades apart, soaking or washing them isn’t part of either service, and our checklists note that we don’t move electronics or disconnect equipment. Suddenly Clean serves homes throughout East County and surrounding San Diego communities. If your ZIP code is accepted, we currently service your area. You can see your exact flat-rate price on our booking page.