How Are Chandeliers Cleaned on High Ceilings?

Each piece is assessed before work begins, taking into account its age, construction, materials, condition and — just as importantly — its accessibility. Dust sheets go down over floors, furniture and adjacent finishes, and access ladders are positioned carefully. A stairwell fitting, a double-height hall and a landing lantern all present different problems even if the chandeliers are identical.

The principle is simple: bring the work down where you can. Removable crooks, drops and glass components are taken down first and cleaned individually at floor level, then refitted and checked. Only the frame, arms and fixed elements are cleaned by hand in position. Where nothing can be removed, all the work is carried out carefully from the ladder in situ.

Three large bell lanterns suspended approximately 15 feet above floor level required our largest access ladders. They were hand dusted and their glass cleaned inside and out with an appropriate glass-cleaning solution, and in the same house an old Swedish lozenge chandelier whose components could not be removed was hand cleaned entirely in position: antique chandelier and lantern cleaning in Notting Hill.

Two very large Venetian chandeliers in Lancaster Gate were cleaned the same way, with large ladders positioned over fully protected floors and only the removable glass crooks brought down.

Cleaning a chandelier at ceiling height means working above a hard floor, often over furniture or a stairwell, while handling wet glass with both hands. It is the part of chandelier care most likely to end in an injury or a broken fitting. High-level cleaning should be arranged with people who have the right access equipment and, where needed, more than one pair of hands.