We just hung some pendant lamps that are suspended by the electrical cord. The cord is covered in white fabric that unfortunately got dirty during the mounting process. What's a good way to try to clean this without taking the whole thing down?
9
-
What kind of fabric is it? Cotton, woven nylon, something else?– MiGCommented Jun 27, 2022 at 13:51
-
@MiG I'm not sure, but I'd say it's something similar to loosely woven cotton. It's on the softer side and can be easily compressed when one end of the cable is cut.– David KCommented Jun 27, 2022 at 15:59
-
My first thought cleaning wise was using wash benzene (which is excellent drawing dirt out if you just hold the sheath bit by bit in a small soaked cloth), however I'm still not 100% convinced it's 1. not nylon and 2. that if it is, it wouldn't get affected.– MiGCommented Jun 27, 2022 at 19:03
-
@MiG Yeah, I definitely can't guarantee the makeup of the fabric– David KCommented Jun 27, 2022 at 20:15
-
There's the ending of the sheath that disappears into the fixture, you could apply some wash benzene there and see if it does any damage?– MiGCommented Jun 27, 2022 at 21:05
|
Show 4 more comments
5 Answers
The "Love it and leave it… aka single-guy" Lifehack:
It's difficult since this issue is now 'top-of-mind' after you've noticed it.
Ignore it. In a short time (YMMV) you'll forget about it and nooooobody will notice it. Other more urgent issues with the decor and with life in general will take centre-stage.
Good luck.
-
As much as I hate it, it seems this will be our likely solution. I tried the Magic Eraser and it was not super effective.– David KCommented Jul 8, 2022 at 14:29
-
It's only a flesh wound Lifehack:
If everything has been dry, there's a better than average chance that the dirt on the cord cover is superficial from the hands of a careless handyman/electrician.
First try:
A stiff brush or plastic scrubber might be used to lightly (but briskly) whisk/buff the grime off the surface of the cord.
No? Then, go to the next level:
Use a little "magic™" cleaning solution…
—made from 1 tsp borax (sodium tetraborate) and 3 tsp baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) dissolved in half-a-cup of warm water— to remove any remaining dross.
Here's how:
- Soak a melamine sponge with the solution, squeeze excess liquid free = a DIY "magic eraser.")
- Use the moistened closed-cell "eraser" to lightly clean the cord surface
No? Then, go to the next level
Good luck.
The Quick 'n Dirty Lamp-cord Fabric Sheath Whitener Lifehack:
Liquid Shoe Whitener with its own self-applicator would be a cover-up that would probably work well for you.
The brand I'm thinking of has a small wingless bird from New Zealand as its trade-mark. I don't recall the name. It comes in a small plastic bottle. I remember it worked wonders for nurses' shoes, running shoes, great stuff and easy to apply.
Tips:
- You'll want to dab some of the stuff onto a scrap and let it dry to compare the result with your decor to see if this 'works.'
- Cover anything under your work to avoid drips which would look horrible on the lampshade… or the table under it… or the rug under it… or the floor under it.
Good Luck.
-
-
1You're probably thinking of Kiwi. But you got the name of your island a bit off... the Kiwi is typically associated with New Zealand, not Australia. See theculturetrip.com/pacific/new-zealand/articles/… Commented Jun 28, 2022 at 14:34
-
1The shade of white produced by this whitener may be different from the original lamp cord though, so it might stand out from the base and the fixture afterward.– MiGCommented Jun 28, 2022 at 17:22
Even if you succeed in cleaning the cord now, it will need doing again at regular intervals, from occasional spider mess, air-borne dirt, fondues, etc. Nobody really looks at light cords anyway and this fabric covering is a recipe to attract the eye when it becomes soiled again.
My hack is to remove the fabric covering completely. Cleaning it in the future will be easy: a quick wipe with a damp cloth.
answered Jun 29, 2022 at 11:59
-
This isn't a bad suggestion but won't work in my case. Underneath the fabric covering is clear plastic cable containing three other wires within it, so that would look much worse IMO– David KCommented Jun 29, 2022 at 14:37
You could wrap white electrical tape around the cord which would give it an easy to clean surface instead of the cloth.
