Anyone who owns an authentic Tiffany lamp should want to protect it from damage and also care for it so that it stays attractive and clean and retains it's value. Here are some easy but vital steps to help keep your lamp (s) safe, clean and protected.
- Cleaning Your Lamp: A clean lamp will be more attractive and the colors and light will be enhanced if it has no dust, tobacco film or cobwebs on either the glass shade or the base. Clean with only a dry feather type duster the glass shade and the base. If you dust it weekly it should stay in good shape. If it is very dusty you can run room temperature water over the shade only, very gently and allow the dust or grime to soften. Never use any chemicals on the shade glass or base!
- Be sure and put heavy towels in the sink or bathtub if you use water, so the shade will be protected as well as possible in case it should slip. Let it air dry or use a hair drier from at least 12 inches on the cool or warm (never hot) setting. The base should just be wiped gently with a soft cotton tee shirt type fabric that is non abrasive. Never use hard pressure and either damp or dry cloth. Dry immediately.
- Lighting Your Lamp: Never use high wattage bulbs. In fact, for all but very large hanging or floor lamps, 40 watt energy saving cool bulbs are the best thing to use. Heat from light bulbs that are too hot can crack glass over time. On larger shades over 22-24 inches, you can use up to 60 watts, in the new cooler bulbs, but I would not go over that. The lamp will usually look nicer color wise if you use less wattage. Below is an example of a nice tulip shade where the colors are washed out, due to the owner using bulbs that are too strong. It "washes out" the nice colors and it creates a glare.
If you need more light in your room, use modern ceiling, floor or table lamps for it, not your authentic, antique Tiffany lamp. Below is an example of a lamp with low wattage bulbs that make the shade look warm, still put out light, and protect the glass.
- Locating Your Lamp: To avoid fatal falls to the floor or bashed in shades from arms, balls, jumping animals or running children or pets, it is best to put your table lamp on a sturdy table in the corner of a room, or in an area that is not a "high traffic" area. It only takes one fall or one ball or one elbow to ruin a shade to the point of being more costly to repair properly than it might be worth. When in any doubt, put the lamp in a room that is protected from pets and children, but where you can still enjoy it.
- Storing Your Lamp: If you ever need to store your antique Tiffany lamp, the worst places are the attic, the basement, the garage or a storage locker. If you must store it in any of these places, they should be climate controlled. Heat and cold from rooms will crack glass and moisture can corrode the metal on lamp shades and bases. If you need to store your lamp or travel with it, have it professionally packed with bubble wrap (separate box for the shade and base) and plenty of "peanuts." Label the box with "fragile" stickers and mark in large letters on it what is inside. If it is going to be off your property, be sure and have homeowner's insurance to insure it against any and all perils.
If you follow these procedures, your lamp should stay in good condition for generations, barring acts of God and accidents which occur despite good protection. A clean, well lighted antique Tiffany lamp lamp is a thing of beauty for all to enjoy.
More to come...
Dennis
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