Cleaning Track Lighting Fixtures

Track lighting can add a modern touch to any home decor, while also helping you deliver lighting to specific areas that you need. If you have paintings or other items that you wish to showcase, then track lighting is exactly the method you can use for that. But with track lighting comes a little extra work, and that is cleaning the tracks, or fixtures, themselves.

For most people, it can be a just a tad tricky cleaning track lighting fixtures. However, if you follow these simple step-by-step instructions you will have a perfectly clean track lighting system. A thoroughly clean system will enable you to take full advantage of its greatest feature: mobility.

1. Disconnect. When working with electricity, or even cleaning electrical equipment, the first thing that needs to be done is making sure you don't get shocked. This means that you need to disconnect any electrical supply to the track lighting system. Do this by flipping of the light switch, or to be completely positive, flipping the electrical breaker.
2. Remove. After ensuring that the electrical current is disconnected, it is time to remove (if possible) the lights. You can do this by removing not only the light bulbs, but the light sockets as well. Usually this can be done by removing one of the caps at the end of the track system. Take care that you do not cut or break any electrical lines that attach the holders to the power supply.
3. Brush. Remove any loose debris or dirt from the track system by using a large soft bristled brush, such as a paint brush. Run the brush along the outside and inside of the track the same way that you would use the brush to paint.
4. Wipe. Use a lightly dampened washcloth or even pre-moistened cleaning wipes to remove larger amounts of debris that may be caked on. Wipe along the tracks in one direction only, this ensures that the dirt is removed and does not get smeared onto areas that have already been cleaned.
5. Wash. For those areas that are particularly encrusted, use a wash cloth that is wet but not soaked to remove the dirt. You do not want to use anything that is any wetter than this since it could end up pooling and causing an electrical short later on. Another reason is that you really don't want to have dirty water falling down into your face.
6. Reconnect. After you have finished cleaning everything, it is time to let it all dry. You can help speed this along by running a soft towel along the track, or you can let everything air dry. Once everything has dried go ahead and reconnect everything in the reverse order that you disconnected it: lights sockets back into the track, bulbs back into the sockets, and finally reconnecting the power supply.