You are currently viewing How Long Can You Leave A Salt Lamp On: Salt Lamp Care Tips

How Long Can You Leave A Salt Lamp On: Salt Lamp Care Tips

Himalayan Salt Lamps have started sprouting from one bedroom to another, and they fit right in, as if they were actually grown, or were unearthed rather, from that same spot. It is an integral part of the modern home setting and knowing stuff like how long can you leave a salt lamp on and other salt lamp care tips seem to be a prerequisite as most owners would complain about this and that without realizing that it is how it really should work.

Taking care of Himalayan salt lamps are as easy as cleaning your dishes or washing your clothes. It is not complicated and requires minimal effort or tools. You just need to know how you should take care of it and how you can take full advantage of its existence in your life.

Spot the Not

Like most things nowadays, fake Himalayan salt lamps have littered the market and may be made of substandard materials that can pose a risk to both your health and safety. These lamps can be made of tough plastic instead of the real deal, and the bulbs run out fast, costing you more than a real Himalayan salt lamp should.

First off, purchase from a reliable source with a proven history and good running sales record. This proves that consumers trust them and their product.

If you know a thing or two about electrical components and product assembly, then you might want to put it into practice when examining Himalayan salt lamps physically. Most sellers have a return policy so you can return them if you don’t like it or how it was built.

A weird thing to note but not advisable is running the Himalayan salt lamp through a taste test. Just lick the outer layer and compare it with the taste of Himalayan sea salt. You can also try to smell it for that salty sea smell, but again both methods are not advisable as you run the risk of licking off dirt stuck on the surface instead of actual salt.

Get to the Base of It

Himalayan salt lamps come with different base materials, from wood to stainless steel. Wooden bases are more prone to leaks, especially if the lamp is turned on 24/7. This is because the by-product of ionization can corrode the base easily. Crystal and stainless steel bases are better than wood and are more attractive although stainless steel bases tend to look gaudy with the salt lamp on top of it.

Yes, Size Matters

Most people who buy Himalayan salt lamps want to use it to purify and ionize the air around them to remove any negative particles that may affect the body. Some would complain that they don’t feel the effect at all, but these same people may not have considered the size of their salt lamps in relation to the space that they are using it in.

An average bedroom can use a 7-inch lamp while larger spaces like living rooms can use larger ones. One pound of salt should be sufficient to cover at least 16 square feet of floor area if we are to put things into ratio and perspective.

If you can’t find the right size because the floor space is too big, then use multiple units placed strategically to cover the entire area. You can’t hack a lamp to make it smaller for a smaller space though.

The Perfect Place, the Perfect Time

Himalayan salt lamps can be placed almost anywhere, and you may still get the benefits that may come from using it. The areas you can use it to include, but are not limited to:

  • Homes
  • Offices
  • Spas and Salons
  • Yoga Studios
  • Receiving Areas
  • Doctor’s Office
  • Classrooms
  • Hotel Rooms
  • Senior Homes

Safety First

Himalayan salt lamps run using electricity, and anything that uses electricity should be handled with utmost care. Take into consideration the following:

  • Salt, as a mineral, attracts humidity from the atmosphere. Even table salt grains do this over time.
  • Himalayan salt lamps use the heat of the bulb to dry off the moisture that has accumulated on the surface.

With the following in mind, it is, therefore, safer to replace a bulb or to move the unit around if the device’s power is set to off and the cord is unplugged. Stainless steel bases may also give you a mild electric shock if not handled properly.

Sweat It Out

Sweating is a common phenomenon with Himalayan salt lamps as the mineral characteristics of sodium chloride makes it hygroscopic, which means it naturally attracts moisture, giving it that sweaty feel. The best way to prevent this is to keep your Himalayan salt lamps on all the time as the heat from the bulb dries the sweats off.

Most Himalayan salt lamp owners cover their units with a cling wrap or a plastic bag when they have to turn it off as these bags protect the unit from attracting moisture. Others go as far as wrapping it in plastic and placing it over a dish to collect the drippings.

Show You Care

Make sure that you don’t wet it or get moisture on it accidentally to prolong the lifespan of your Himalayan salt lamp. If, for some reason, it becomes wet, then dry your hands promptly and unplug it from the socket. Using a soft, non-abrasive cloth, dry it promptly by scrubbing the cloth all over and check for remaining moisture.

If your Himalayan salt lamp does not become dry after scrubbing it with a dry cloth, then place it under direct sunlight for a few hours to let it dry naturally. Check for moisture before you plug it back in.

Do not attempt to place it inside a kiln or an oven to dry it off as Himalayan salt lamps have components that can melt or react negatively to oven heat.

Clean as You Go

Himalayan salt lamps rarely get dirty but being left in a public space for a long time, it does tend to accumulate dust over time, and it can affect the way that it glows. When this happens, it means that it is time to clean your Himalayan salt lamp.

Here are the steps on how to clean your Himalayan Salt Lamp:

Step 1: Unplug the salt lamp from the socket.

Step 2: Get a dishcloth and moist it a bit with water.

Stp 3: Make sure to wring the cloth for excess moisture.

Step 4: Take your salt lamp and carefully rub any dirt off by applying the dishcloth directly on the dirty spots.

Step 5: Wipe the whole lamp down and ensure that you don’t get additional moisture on the surface of the lamp.

Step 6: Dry if off using another piece of a dishcloth.

Step 7: Let it dry off under the sun for a few hours before plugging it back in.

How Long Can You Leave A Salt Lamp On?

In reality, you need to understand how a salt lamp works before you can know how long can you leave a salt lamp on. Or at least get a basic grasp of it, if you don’t want the full science course.

Salt lamps are peculiar as the bulbs inside interact with the shade or canopy that covers it; this is the Himalayan rock salt. What happens when you turn on the lamp is that heat emanating from the lightbulb would interact with the inner layer of the rock salt. This interaction stimulates the ions in the air, effectively making your lamp a natural ionizer.

Although heat is involved in the ionization process, this in no way affects the natural constitution of the rock salt, which means it does not melt away like most people think it does. This also answers the original question, how long can you leave it on? As long as you like but do remember to turn it off when you leave to prevent fires as it is still a potential fire hazard, especially with its electrical wiring and all that.