How to Clean a Lamp Shade

A silk lamp shade or one covered in a delicate or unusual fabric must be cleaned with care.

• Use a feather duster to remove any dirt.
• Avoid lint rollers or vacuuming with a vacuum attachment on a silk lamp shade, as those could damage a sensitive fabric.
• Do not immerse a silk lamp shade into water or use water or oil-based products to clean it, as those could create permanent stains on the shade.
• If the shade is stained or yellowed, it must be dry-cleaned by a professional.

Use the bathtub and detergent method described in cleaning fabric lamp shades to clean a plastic lamp shade, as plastic won't fall apart when fully immersed in water. This is also the most efficient way to clean a large or bulky-shaped lamp shade. 

• Vacuum or dust away any plastic lamp shade’s surface debris first, then clean it with a wet rag or sponge and any kind of typical household cleaner. 
• Use a paintbrush with soft bristles on a pleated lamp shade to get inside the crevices.

More delicate lamp shade materials like textured fiber, paper or fiberglass should not be moistened by water, detergents or liquid cleaning products. Those can cause delicate materials to disintegrate.

• Instead of water-based cleansers, use a clean, soft and dry rag or cloth like a chamois or soft cotton dish towel to gently brush the dirt off of the lamp shade.
• Avoid using a vacuum attachment on a lamp shade made from delicate materials.
• Use a soft duster or a feather duster on a regular basis to clean dust away from a fiber, fiberglass or paper lamp shade.

A handy lint roller can be used to lightly clean a lampshade made of sturdier fabrics such as canvas. Avoid using a lint roller on thin, delicate lamp shade fabrics, as the roller's stickiness could tear the material. If the lamp shade is made with a stronger fabric, it can be vacuumed gently with a vacuum's upholstery attachment. Use the low suction setting on the vacuum to avoid ripping the fabric.