Cleaning your Artichoke Lamp

The Poul Henningsen designed feature light first made its appearance in 1958 and is still popular as a design classic. A futuristic design, coupled with a soft diffused light makes it perfect for all areas where it’s striking appearance and practical lighting is sought. Due to the number of blades in the design of the artichoke lamp and the high resultant surface area of the fitting, it does tend to attract dust and needs to be cleaned once or twice a year, depending on the dust and conditions in your area of course.

• The design of the light makes the use of feather dusters and vacuum cleaners impractical. Fair warning – this is not a 2 minute job.

• When used as a ceiling-mounted fitting, access to the light is difficult. Rather than disconnecting the light, use a tall ladder and remove the leaves from their mountings. On most artichoke lights, this is not a difficult procedure as the leaves attach easily to the body and is uniform in size, so replacing them is not a jig-saw puzzle operation.

• If the leaves are of differing sizes or fixed to the body, you may have to clean the fixture in place. Follow all the safety procedure. Ensure that the power is off before handling the light and make sure your ladder or base is stable.

For brushed aluminum leaves.

• Use a non-scratch cleaning pad such as a Scotch-brite pad if there is a lot of grit on it from being outside. If just dusty, use a clean cloth to remove any dust.

• A solution of 1/2 cup of vinegar to 1 quart of water can help for a discolored aluminum. Use a clean cloth to rub this solution into the aluminum.

• Spray the aluminum with any non-greasy household cleaner and dry it with a dry cloth. This will make your brushed aluminum shine.

For glass leaves

• Use a clean cloth to wipe any dust from the leaves. If the dirt is stubborn, wash with warm water and dish-washing soap. Rinsing with hot water to remove any trace of soap is the key here.

• Wipe down with a good quality window cleaner. Ensure that there are no water stains on the glass and polish with a dry cloth.

To prevent future dust build up, wipe the leaves down with fabric softener sheets before refitting them the base of the light. Apart from reducing static electricity on the leaves which will attract dust; it will give you the benefit of a fresh smell in the room. Wipe down as much of the frame with the fabric softener sheets before fitting the leaves.