The Easiest Way To Clean Your Lampshades Is In Your Laundry Room

Lampshades add personality and dimension to a room, but as any deep cleaner knows, they also attract a large amount of dust. And if you have pets of any sort, they're more like a hair-catcher than anything else. They require constant vacuuming and upkeep, and if you leave them uncleaned for more than a week, you instantly start to notice. They get a telltale film of dust and dander, making you itch just looking at them. But rather than taking out the upholstery attachment on your vacuum, you might be better served taking your lampshades into the laundry room. There is one staple there that can help clean them right up: a lint roller.

A lint roller can remove any stubborn dust particles and rogue hairs with just one to two swipes. This is great because it makes the chore much easier, especially if you have more than two lampshades in the house to clean. Here's how to do it.

Before grabbing your roller, first remove the lampshade from its lamp base. While it's an extra step, it will make rolling it much easier since you can easily turn the shade in your hands and angle it up or down to see the wayward hairs or dust particles better. Once ready, grab a fresh lint roller, hold it horizontally, and maneuver it up and down the shade, moving in small sections. Going twice up its length should be enough, but if it has been some time between cleanings, you might have to go upwards of five times to pick up all of the dust.

If your lampshade is particularly dirty, you might have to tear off a new sheet once the roller becomes sufficiently clogged with dust. If it has sewn seams at the top and bottom, angle the roller vertically and roll it into the seam's crevices, picking up lodged dirt.

While this is a time-efficient hack for cleaning lampshades, you should keep a few things in mind before grabbing your nearest lint roller. First and foremost, it's best to test how the roller will react with your lampshade by rolling it in a small, inconspicuous spot. That way, you can see if it leaves behind any residue or tugs at the fabric too hard. If no noticeable damage is done, then you know it's safe to use.

Secondly, this hack is best used on cloth lampshades. Avoid using it on paper lamps, since the sticky adhesive might cause the paper to rip. The same goes for embellished lampshades; the adhesive might tear off or loosen any sequins or beads. You also want to use this on a flat surface; it won't work on pleated lampshades. For pleated styles, try using compressed air to rid the shade of any accumulating dust.