My kitchen light had a layer of dust so thick it was dimming the room, and I kept putting off cleaning it because taking the whole fixture down felt like a weekend project. Then I found a way to do it standing on the floor, and it took five minutes.

The Dust First Rule

Never start with anything wet. If you spray cleaner on a dusty fixture, you get muddy streaks that are harder to clean than the dust was. Get the dry dust off first.

Tools That Reach Without a Ladder

• A long handled duster with a bendable head for most ceiling lights.
• A microfiber cloth on a broom handle for glass shades.
• A pillowcase for chandeliers with lots of little crystals.

The Pillowcase Trick

For a chandelier, slip a pillowcase over each arm one at a time and pull gently. The dust and grime collect inside the case instead of raining down on your table. Rinse the case when you are done. It sounds odd, but it is the cleanest way I have found to handle fiddly crystal fixtures.

For glass globes, a damp microfiber cloth with a squirt of dish soap gets them clear again. Dry them with a clean cloth so water spots do not form. I do the whole room in ten minutes now, no ladder, no unscrewing anything.