Silk Lamp Shades – The Delicate Cover
Silk lamp shades are old, or antique looking decorative pieces of art for your homes. They give you all the benefits of a standard shade plus so much more. They look extremely delicate and sober, especially when the color of cloth is light.
Like many traditional arts, the art of making lamps and shades is gradually becoming obsolete. More effort should be made to ensure a revival of this art. And that’s exactly what it is, an art.
Beautiful looking shades can be made by using silk. This material is available in several colors. There are many designs that can be made on silk and used as a cover for you lamps. In all cases the result is a shade that looks elegant and refined.
A Little About Silk
This is a fiber spun by insects. Silk has been in cultivation for over five thousand years. China is the biggest producer of silk. It produces 65% of the world’s supply. India, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Brazil also produces good quality silk. A small amount of silk is made in England and Italy as well.
This fabric itself looks very elegant wherever it is draped. Be it curtains, dresses or even lamp shades, nothing can beat its elegance. It is a refined fabric, luxurious to look at and smooth and soft to feel. Fresh silk will not be harmed by insects and also has the property to resist mildew. This is an eco friendly product.
Silk is a very delicate fabric and thus fragile one too. A silk shade is a precious possession that adds a lot of class and elegance to your home or office, wherever you place it. But you must handle it with care.
Tips On How To Clean Your Silk Lamp Shades
There are 2 main things that you must do if you wish to preserve your silk shades and keep them clean. The first thing is a simple dusting and maintenance formula. This works wonders for your shades. You can cover your silk shade with cornmeal.
In the next step, you should put the lamp shade inside a plastic bag and lightly shake it. Do this till the cornmeal is shaken off entirely. Cornmeal is very beneficial for your silk lamp shade. It performs the functions of a scrubber. It wipes off all the lose dust from the surface of the shade. If you follow this method of cleaning your lamp shade, no damage will be done.
The second method is for removing harder stains. The lamp shade needs to be submerged in a bathtub filled with lukewarm water and mild detergent must be used. The stains must be rubbed with a towel till they are wiped off. Then the shade must be washed in clean water and hung up side down so that the water is drained off.
Silk lamp shades are wonderful to own, and they can be costly as well. Using these two methods to keep them clean will ensure that they last a long time.