Published: July 2026 · by arch. Dan Dumitriu · FD.STIL
How to look after a brass chandelier
The basic rule: dust often, with a soft dry cloth — and almost nothing more is ever needed. Our pieces are hand-finished and protected in the workshop, so they need no shop-bought polishes or brass cleaners. Most of the damage we see on old pieces does not come from age but from aggressive cleaning: abrasive pastes, ammonia or vinegar that attack the protective layer and the patina. If a piece looks like it needs more than dusting, ask us first — it costs less than refinishing.
By family of finish
- Lacquered brass (Classic gold, Satin, Antique I-III, Bronze). Dust with a dry microfibre cloth. Isolated marks: a cloth barely damp with water, then dried immediately. No brass cleaners, no ammonia, no abrasives — all of them attack the lacquer, and once the lacquer is compromised the brass oxidises unevenly.
- Painted surfaces (matt black, white, antique gold, colours). A dry or barely damp cloth. No solvents and no abrasive sponge — matt paint burnishes under rubbing and leaves shiny patches.
- Chrome and polished stainless steel. The easiest of all: a microfibre cloth, if needed a trace of water with neutral soap, then dried. Fingerprints show easily, but come off just as easily.
- Blown and opal glass (the Venetian pieces). Dust with a soft brush or a dry cloth. For a general clean, the glass elements come off and are washed separately in lukewarm water with neutral soap — never in place, so that water cannot reach the lampholders. A broken element is not replaced with an approximation: it is blown again to the original pattern, in the workshop.
- Crystals (Marie Therese, Marie Louise). The crystals hang on individual hooks and come off one at a time. Wash them in lukewarm water with a drop of washing-up liquid, rinse, and dry with a lint-free cloth. On large pieces, photograph the arrangement before taking it apart.
- Textile lampshades. Dust with the soft brush of a vacuum cleaner, top to bottom, or with a sticky roller. Do not wash them: the fabric is glued to the frame and water distorts it. Serious stains are a case for refurbishment in the workshop.
What never to do
- Cleaning with the piece live. Before anything else, switch off the circuit — not just the wall switch.
- Spraying cleaners straight onto the piece. The liquid gets into the lampholders and the joints. Any cleaner goes on the cloth, not on the chandelier.
- Brass polish on antiqued finishes. The antique patina is the finish, not dirt — a polishing paste removes it for good.
- Hanging on the arms while cleaning. The arms are sized for their own weight, not for support. On tall pieces, use the ladder, not the chandelier.
How often
Dusting: every two to four weeks, along with the rest of the room. A general clean, taking down the crystals or the glass: once a year in homes, two or three times a year in restaurants and commercial spaces, where deposits are greasier and build up faster. Wipe the bulbs when you change them too — a dusty bulb loses a visible amount of light.
For old pieces, heavily patinated or with the finish compromised, the workshop carries out full refurbishment — including for fittings we did not make. Ask us before trying it at home · The bulb guide
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