Making it Sparkle

Once a year, I clean the crystal chandelier in the dining room.  It happens to coincide with my holiday decorating.  For some reason, the rest of the year I overlook the dust on the crystals, probably because it is evenly dusty!  But once the glitter village and snow globes go up, the dullness of the chandelier catches my eye.

Quite honestly, there is really no easy way to do this (at least I haven’t discovered it yet).  This chandelier came with us during our move to Bella Terra.  Once candle lit only, we had it electrified and it has hung in our last two dining rooms.   I love the 12 arms and the crystals are not overabundant (except when you have to clean each and every one).

The cups that sit under each candle collect the most dust.

I start by laying down old towels on top of the table.  With a spray bottle of white vinegar and water, I spray each and every crystal and cup. With a soft towel, I wipe each and every crystal and cup…..good for toning the arms!!! 🙂

The view from below doesn’t show all the crystals.  Each arm has approximately 3o individuals crystals of varying sizes.

It never fails that one crystal will fall off during this process.  The purpose of the towel is to break its fall, however, this one bounced off the table and landed on the stone fireplace hearth.

Therefore, I keep a box of extras, just in case.  You can also find crystal replacements online.

Though most people won’t realize the chandelier has been cleaned, I know this will bump up the sparkle effect in the dining room, especially at night.

Wishing you a week of shiny and bright!