WHEN cleaning an irreplaceable chandelier, the words of Del Boy – "Now brace yourself, Rodney" – must surely play on the minds of staff at a Mole Valley stately home.
In the classic episode of Only Fools And Horses, the Trotters famously dropped a priceless Louis XIV chandelier that they were hired to clean by Lord Ridgemere, smashing it into a million pieces.
But thankfully, no such disaster occurred at Polesden Lacey last week, when staff went about the annual job of cleaning the stately home's main chandelier in the Gold Room.
Believed to have been made by famed French glassware manufactures Baccarat, the decorative feature has more than 4,000 individual crystals, all of which had to be painstakingly dusted.
The home's assistant house steward, Helen Taylor, was leader of the cleaning project, and said it was a "big job" that staff looked forward to every year.
"This year we cleaned it in front of the public for the first time as there was so much interest in how we clean this huge item.
"It is one of my most satisfying cleaning jobs, though, as you can really see the difference in the sparkle of the crystal, which is so important in giving this glitzy room its 'wow' factor."
Originally designed for candles, the ornament was converted to electricity and reinstalled by the home's famous owner Mrs Greville when she bought and renovated Polesden in 1906.
The chandelier is believed to date from circa 1860 and, along with six matching wall sconces, was cleaned by staff every day from Monday to Friday last week.
Esther Worboys, spokeswoman for Polesden Lacey, explained the process.
"It is a very involved process to clean the chandelier," she said. "Firstly it does not come down, so we have to go up.
"The conservation team start by setting up a scaffolding tower. Then they need to dust the ormolu, which is the gilded metal parts, with a pony-hair brush, which has very soft bristles that will break off if they get caught rather than damaging the fragile surface."
She continued: "Finally the crystals are cleaned using a mix of methylated spirits and distilled water. This needs to be done with a lint-free duster, keeping the spray away from the metalwork so it does not corrode the gilding."
To find out more about Polesden Lacey, go to www.nationaltrust.org.uk/polesden-lacey or call 01372 452048.
The stately home is open from 12.30 to 5pm on weekdays and 11am to 5pm on weekends.
