Care Guide
Short version: dust the lights, wash the textiles cold, and read the bulb rating before you screw anything in.
Light fixtures
- Switch it off and let it cool before cleaning anything. LEDs run cooler than filament bulbs but a fixture that's been on for hours is still warm.
- Dust dry. A soft dry cloth or a soft brush on the shade and housing. Skip the spray polish — it fogs acrylic diffusers and creeps into the fitting.
- Metal finishes. Wipe with a barely damp cloth and dry immediately. Black and brushed finishes mark with water spots if left wet.
- Glass and acrylic diffusers. Remove them if the design allows, wash in warm soapy water, dry completely before refitting.
- Bulbs. Stay at or below the wattage printed on the fixture and on the product page. Over-lamping is the single most common way a fixture is damaged.
Rechargeable and battery lights
- Charge fully before first use, then top it up when the light dims rather than running it flat every time.
- The adhesive on stick-up bars holds best on a clean, dry, smooth surface. Wipe with rubbing alcohol first and press for thirty seconds.
- If a motion sensor starts triggering at nothing, wipe the sensor window — dust reads as movement.
Outdoor lights
- Check the IP rating on the product page before you mount anything. IP65 handles dust and driving rain; a lower rating wants a covered spot.
- Rinse salt and grit off with plain water a couple of times a year if you're near a road or the coast.
- Solar stakes need direct sun on the panel for most of the day. Wipe the panel clear — a dusty panel is the usual reason a solar light stops lasting the night.
Throws, blankets and cushion covers
- Machine wash cold on a gentle cycle, alone or with like colours. Fleece and faux fur pick up lint from towels and cotton.
- Tumble dry low or line dry. High heat is what turns fleece scratchy and mats faux fur — it doesn't recover.
- No fabric softener. It coats the fibres and kills the loft.
- Iron only if the label allows, on the lowest setting, and never directly on faux fur.
- Take cushion covers off the inserts before washing.
Rugs and runners
- Vacuum without the beater bar on shag and high-pile — suction only.
- Shake it out rather than scrubbing. Blot spills, don't rub.
- Rotate it a couple of times a year so it wears evenly.
- A rug pad stops slipping and adds years of life.
Ceramics and glass
- Hand wash in warm soapy water. Dishwashers are hard on glaze and on anything with a hand-finished surface.
- Empty vases between arrangements — standing water leaves a ring that's difficult to shift.
Something not covered here? Write to us and we'll tell you what we know.