Cleaning Light Fixtures in a Bathroom

Next to your kitchen, your bathroom sees more action than any other room in the house. Because this room gets so much use, it is no surprise that keeping it clean is a bit of a challenge. Let's be honest, the light fixtures in the bathroom are the last thing on our bathroom cleaning list, if they made it on that list at all. They are overhead, out of the way, and most of us don't think about them very often. When we do remember them, it's because a bulb burned out and when we around to switching it out we find that the fixture is coved in dust and bug parts that are cemented in baked on hairspray. Yuck. If this scenario sounds familiar and you are looking for a good way to take care of the problem, rest assured that it is fairly easy to handle.

It is a good idea to turn off the electrical breaker supplying power to the bathroom before you do anything else. Hopefully the room has enough natural light for you to work with, but if not you can use a flash light or lamp. Don't use a candle. You will be moving around and it would be too easy to knock over.

The next step is to remove the bulbs and the fixtures. Make sure the bulbs and glass fixtures have had enough time to cool down before you try to remove them so you don't burn yourself. Some fixtures are not removable; in which case you can clean them in place, but make sure you are have stable footing. Some bathrooms are set up so that you can access the vanity lights and the overhead lights by standing on the counter or toilet seat, but you may want to consider using a step stool instead.

Once you've taken down the fixture, remove the bug cemetery by shaking it over a garbage can or wiping in out with a rag or a paper towel. If you are using a paper towel, toss the used one in the garbage can and grab a fresh one to wipe out the dust remaining with. If you are using a rag, you may want to shake it out in the garbage can before you wipe out the rest of the fixture.

Clean the bulbs and fixture with a damp rag and your preferred type of cleaner. I actually use Windex for this job, because I like the convenience of the spray bottle, but you can get the same results by filling the bathroom sink with warm water and dish soap. Thoroughly dry your pieces with a cloth or towel before you put the fixtures and the bulbs back in place. Flip the breaker back on and you're done!