I have a feather lampshade, it's shaped like a ball and it hangs from my ceiling. Problem is that it has gathered dust and is no longer white. How do I remove the dust?
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The dust will hoover off... however the grease & general grime won't.– TetsujinApr 2, 2017 at 15:03
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Take lampshade and try with something you have in the home: alcohol vinegar, toothpaste or with baking soda. Rub it & wash.– se0D2Apr 3, 2017 at 6:18
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The only thing I can think about without risking to damage it, is to give it to a dry cleaning service. This is absolutely no lifehack of course...– FlintApr 4, 2017 at 17:33
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Did you try swiffer cloth? Maybe even some febreeze?– cybernardApr 8, 2017 at 14:47
7 Answers
First I would us an aerosol can to spray the surface dust away. A bunch of short burst will do.
Next, depending on how durable the shade is get a soft wash cloth and some shampoo. Wash the feathers with you hand first and then squeeze the feathers with the cloth. Not too hard as these are feathers.
As they are we they will stick so use that aerosol can again to spray them to dry and to loosen them back up.
Good Luck
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Put into a large plastic bag with a cup of diatemacious earth and gently shake it up for a few minutes. Open it outside and remove from bag. Tap shade until it no longer puffs dust. Wear a mask and safety glasses. Repeat if needed.
Why not use a "Feather duster" on it?
This kind of duster:
- has very little mass, so it shouldn't bend you 'feather lampshade" out of shape
- it's flexible and hairy so it gets into cracks and oddly-shaped spaces
- You can get it with a relatively long stick (see example) so standing on a chair you can reach pretty high. Although it's not impossible you might need a ladder to get to the absolute top - depending on room height.
Not that much of a "hack", but it should work.
To remove dust from feathers one neeeds to be very careful. I would recommend "GUST" it's air in a can. A hair dryer is too strong and might blow too hard and bend or or blow out the feathers and putting soaps might leave residue and again break the feathers. Delicate air in a can is the answer. There a numerous brands on the market as well used to clean off delicate items.
Use a sticky lint remover roller and roll over the shade until all the dust has been removed.
Hairdryer on lowest heat lowest power worked a treat on my 30 buck B&Q lampshade, only lost a couple of feathers too. Ta muchly!
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Hello, and welcome to LifeHacks SE! While it is good to see you trying to contribute, I must agree with WIlleke -- do you have anything more to add than the original answer that had this suggestion? Jan 2, 2019 at 2:09