As we type this, it’s British summertime – the finest season of all. Even Cardiff gets a fair share of that beautiful sunshine and 16 hours of glorious daylight, every day. Yep, it’s all strawberries and cream, flip flops, and… bugs.

Lots and lots of bugs. From the rarely calendared (but regular as clockwork) Flying Ant Day, to countless picnics ruined by wasps – bugs rule the summer. And if your office is cool and shady, those bugs want in.

Chief among the bothersome buzzers are flies: houseflies, bluebottles, greenbottles, and those big dopey ones. They’re annoying for sure, but they can also cause big problems. Flies can contaminate food with their saliva (yuck) and the faeces they consume (grim), and if they get into bins – you could be in for a full blown infestation.

Read more: Summer of Grubs: How to Clean Bins (& Avoid Bugs)

If they’re not flying around your face, trying to fly through windows, or making a bee line for the bins – there’s one other place they’ll end up.

In your office ceiling lights.

If you’ve never had to empty a lighting fixture of accumulated bug bodies – well, we’re happy for you. It’s usually a dusty, crusty experience, shifting countless mummified insects from their tombs, and dealing with a lifetime’s worth of dust in the process.

Avoiding this is pretty simple: all it takes is to clean ceiling lights regularly. But nobody really spares much thought for cleaning their lighting fixtures… And so, they tend to get incredibly dusty and bugged up, to the point where they need a really good clean.

So, let’s share a few of our trade secrets: the safest and most effective way to clean ceiling lights – without damaging them – for a bug-free, dustless sparkle.

Trust us – you’ll be glad you asked how to clean ceiling lights once winter rolls around…

How to clean ceiling lights and fluorescent office strip lights

Needless to say, this is a daylight hours job – you don’t want to be doing this in the dark! We’d also suggest protective eyewear or goggles, and a dust mask.

1. Safety first! Turn off the lights, and let them cool

Before touching any light fixtures, always turn off the power at the switch to avoid electrocution. Better yet, cut the power at the circuit breaker (lighting should have its own dedicated ring in most modern offices) to eliminate accidental powerups.

Most offices still use fluorescent lights, which can get very hot. Even LED strip lighting can get pretty toasty to the touch, so let them cool if they’ve been on for a while. Besides a burn risk, thermal shock from cleaning can shatter glass strip lights. So heed the warning!

2. Remove the diffuser cover

Most office ceiling lights have a removable plastic panel. This acts as a protective cover and a diffuser, making the often-harsh light from strip lighting a bit softer. But it’s also a magnet for dust – and a graveyard for bugs, so remove these covers carefully.

Strip light covers are usually secured by clips or tension springs, or just by gravity and offset tabs. You should be able to gently push up and tilt these types of covers to release them – but watch out for falling bug mummies and dust! Try to tip them away from you as you release them.

Other covers are secured by screws, bolts, or fasteners – they tend to be heavier, so ask for help if you need it (and be sure to offer your helper some protective gear!). There’s a lot of variety in how covers are fitted, but it should be fairly obvious. If not, Google the manufacturer and find a manual to help!

3. Dust the cover and fixture

Once the cover is removed, get the bulbs out. Fluorescent strip bulbs are almost always a “twist to remove” bulb: rolling the bulb along its length, it’ll come out at 90º. Carefully get them down, and put them in a safe place.

Take a tip from experience. Don’t be tempted to lean them up on the wall – they love tipping over. Keep them flat on the ground.

Next, do a dry dusting of the fixture. You can use a microfibre cloth or duster to wipe away any loose dust from both sides of the panel. You could also use a hoover with a brush attachment for the fixture housing, to remove dust from deeper within.

For stubborn grime (and to get rid of any caked in flies), lightly dampen a cloth with water or a mild cleaning agent. If the cover is very dirty and becoming discoloured, you can try soaking it in warm, soapy water. Give it a scrub and a rinse, and let it air dry completely before reattaching.

4. Clean the bulbs

For fluorescent tubes or LED bulbs, gently wipe them over with a dry cloth. Don’t spray cleaner directly onto bulbs or LEDs – just the very slightest amount of moisture from a cloth should be more than enough.

5. Put everything back together and test

Pop the bulbs back in, and if you soaked them, make sure your covers are completely dry before putting them back on. Don’t forget to secure them if they have screws or clips! Turn the power back on and check that the light works.

And there you have it – clean, fly-free office ceiling lights!

Now, all you have to do is keep them that way… We recommend giving them a clean every 3 to 6 months – more often in dusty environments, or if you’ve had a bug infestation. You can also try using an antistatic cleaner, to repel dust longer, and getting some insect repellant to keep the flies at bay on these balmy summer days.

But if you’d rather get someone else to do it, why not get in the professionals for an office deep clean?

Light up your office cleaning

Keep your office clean – with regular, professional office cleaning from The Abbey Cleaning Service. Call 029 2067 9323 today, and find out how we’ll help get your office clean, without disrupting your work day.