How to Care for Himalayan Salt Lamps & Stop Lamp Leaking

We often get asked 'How do I care for my Himalayan Rock Salt Lamps?' or 'What is the best way to look after my salt lamps?' or 'How do I clean my Himalayan salt lamps?'.

Below you will find our best tips and tricks to look after and maintain your Himalayan salt lamps.

Don't get daunted.

There is nothing to it.

But none-the-less, we feel it is more important to be fully informed and have the knowledge than to be without.

So, congratulations. You are the proud owner of one or more of our Himalayan Salt Lamps.

If you bought them from Earth Inspired Gifts, then you will notice the unique Onyx crystal base it is mounted on.

All our crystal lamps are made of natural crystal salt sourced from underground salt mines in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Every single piece is unique, just like you and I.

Help, my Himalayan salt lamp is sweating

Your Himalayan salt lamp is sweating or leaking. What should you do and why is my salt lamp leaking?

We get this question all the time. How do I stop my Himalayan salt lamp from sweating?

The answer to this is pretty simple. You must keep your salt lamp on and you must keep it warm.

Salt is hygroscopic, which means it will absorb moisture from the air. If you have a salt grinder, have a look at the top of the lid and see if any moisture has gathered around there. 

If you are like most, you will find a few moisture droplets sitting there.

Your salt lamp is no different. It will absorb moisture from the air and the best way to overcome it, is to have it turned on at all times.

How often should I keep my salt lamp on to stop it from sweating?

We recommend to keep your Himalayan salt lamp on for 16 hours a day minimum. Some people have worked out it costs less than $10 a year to keep a 7-15w bulb on all day.

Not only that, but the idea is to keep your beautiful salt lamp on as much as possible.

Within a short amount of time, your 'leaking salt lamp' will be dry and working exactly as it was designed.

So how exactly should you care for your Himalayan Salt Lamps?

The good news is that your Himalayan Crystal Salt Lamps are very durable, even though they are made of salt.

By following the simple steps outlined below, they should last for decades.

How to clean a salt lamp

• For best results, we recommend leaving the lamp on 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Natural or carved rock salt lamps are safe to wipe with a damp cloth.
• Don't overdo the dampness of the material as excess water will dissolve the salt.
• In particular, if it is humid or raining, leave your rock salt lamp on as moisture in the air is increased, and your rock salt lamp will assist with evaporation.
• The lamp will tell you if it is not being used enough by pooling moisture.
• This is perfectly natural for salt lamps. We highly recommend you place your lamp on a plate, mat or decorative dish if you choose not to have it on 24/7.
• The bottom line is, if you have your lamp on 24/7, you will greatly reduce the chance of it sweating. Hence we recommend having it on all day every day.

To give you an example, we have two salt lamps pictured below.

The one on the left is a rock salt lamp on a wooden base (we only sell rock salt lamps on an Onyx crystal base, which we feel is far more attractive and durable).

The lamp was turned off at certain times and as a result, the salt lamp leaked.

The rock salt lamp on the right is a flame carved rock salt lamp that we sell on an onyx crystal base.

As this is our stock, we leave it on 24/7. You will notice there is zero leakage, moisture or corrosion.

• Given the excess humidity and dampness in a bathroom, we recommend not placing your rock salt lamp in there.
• Likewise, some outdoor environments may be prone to excess sweating, so best to place it indoors.
• If not in use (and the lamp is dry) we recommend wrapping in a plastic bag or glad-wrap after unplugging and removing the cord.
• We recommend you place your salt lamp on a placemat, or something similar to protect the surface your crystal salt lamp is sitting on.

Electrical Safety Instructions of your Himalayan Rock Salt Lamps

When it comes to electricity, we all need to be extremely careful.

There is no need for any of us to put our lives in danger when it comes to electricity.

So it goes without saying, you need to ensure your power is turned off when plugging in, unplugging, moving the lamp or changing the bulb.

• Salt does attract humidity out of the atmosphere.
• Natural Himalayan Rock Salt Lamps use the heat generated by the bulb to evaporate this moisture which keeps the lamp and fitting dry and safe.
• If your rock salt lamp is moist, remove the cord from the power socket and bulb from the bulb socket and allow to completely dry before reconnecting the power.

No more leaking salt lamp

So there you have it. If you follow the simple Himalayan salt lamp care instructions above, your salt lamp leaking water will no longer be the case.

Use some common sense along with the care instructions above, and your Himalayan Rock Salt Lamps will be enjoyed by you and your family for years to come.

We truly hope you enjoy your salt lamps.