by Mary Lou |
Last Updated: September 15, 2018 When you buy something using the links on our posts, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Learn more.
Are you on the fence about buying a salt lamp? Did you buy one and you’re having problems? Is yours ‘sweating’?
Years ago, I bought my first salt lamp and I haven’t looked back ever since. I’ve bought them in all shapes and sizes and have them in practically every room. I’ve gifted them out to friends and relatives, and I’ve talked about how good they are to the uninitiated.
So yeah, you have salt lamp questions? I can answer them, easy.
Let’s go!
What is a salt crystal lamp?
A salt crystal lamp usually refers to a Himalayan salt rock lamp. While the salt you put on your food is usually produced from the sea, these come from mines in Pakistan. Imagine vast caverns and veins of rock salt running under ancient mountains.
Workers managed by the Pakistani government harvest the crystals by hand and are assembled into beautiful crystal lamps.
Where do you buy a salt crystal lamp online?
It is best to buy from Amazon if you are buying something like this online and want to avoid chancing on a fake. Their Number 1 Bestseller currently has many thousands of customer reviews with excellent feedback. You can also get free shipping and Amazon customer support is always very responsive in case you have issues with your purchase.
Last update on 2024-10-05 at 15:52 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / More info
The free shipping is nothing to sneeze at as these things are HEAVY.
If you live in a country where Amazon does not deliver, look for a local supplier first. Just make sure your source sells genuine products and that the electronics are not faulty.
Check out our complete list of the best salt lamps to buy here.
What are salt lamps good for?
Himalayan salt lamps:
- reduce or nullify allergy attacks like asthma
- cleanse the air in your room by removing both unwanted smells and electro-smog
- are good for pet owners with smelly pets
- help you sleep better
- ease coughing
- strengthen your immune and respiratory system
- soothe and relax
- help with depression
Does my salt lamp have to be on to work?
Yes, the heat from the lamp is what activates it and produces negative ions — the same negative ions in rainstorms or waterfalls. These negative ions are what makes them beneficial to the body.
So make sure that your lamp bulb produces some heat. If the one you buy comes with a dimmer, turn it up when you’re feeling poorly or want to enjoy its soothing glow more. You get the full benefits when it is turned fully on.
Also, you run the risk of your crystal sweating if you don’t have it turned on.
Why is my salt lamp sweating? Why is it leaking water?
Don’t panic! It is sweating or leaking water because you’ve either placed it in a humid room or you live in a place that has high humidity. In drier climates, it will stay dry and not weep or sweat.
To keep yours from dripping water, here is the MOST EFFECTIVE TIP for you: Keep your salt lamp on 24/7. This will dry it out and keep it dry from then on.
More important tips:
- Do NOT keep one in your bathroom or laundry room. These are very humid places.
- Place a saucer underneath in case of emergencies and to keep your furniture safe.
- Observe what times of day it gets very humid in your room or place. Keep the lamp on 24/7 if you have to. Electric consumption is very low so you don’t need to worry about power bills or hurting the environment.
- If your crystal still gets moist once in a while, give it a few pats with a dry and absorbent lint-free cloth.
- If you are going away, place it in a supermarket bag to keep it from sweating in your absence.
- Beware if your lamp has leaked too much water. It might have compromised the electric wirings already. In such a case, it is best not to leave it alone. Keep an eye on it.
- Do NOT leave a leaking item alone in the house.
I gave one out as a gift to a friend who put it in her bathroom (to improve the smell, she said – I didn’t ask too many questions…). The condensation from hot baths played havoc with the lamp and made it weep like crazy. Once she kept it in a drier room, it stopped leaking.
The same thing happened to a friend who lives all the way in the Philippines. The climate there is terrifically humid but she was able to troubleshoot the issue simply by keeping hers on all the time (except when the AC is running).
Do salt rock lamps melt? Do Himalayan salt lamps dissolve?
No, they neither melt nor dissolve. When your crystal sweats or leaks water, it is actually absorbing moisture from its humid environment. This is then released in the form that we see — either as a film of wetness on the surface of the crystal or a growing puddle at the base of the product.
Again, the ONE thing you simply need to do is to keep your salt lamp on to keep it from sweating/leaking/weeping. The heat from the lamp will keep the crystals dry.
The only time your it might melt or dissolve is if you dunk it in water. It IS after all, essentially a slab of salt.
Can you leave a salt lamp on all the time?
Speaking from experience, yes. I’ve had my lamps for more than a year now and they’ve been mostly on due to our somewhat humid climate. In the beginning, I observed each closely due to reports of fire hazards. After several uneventful days, I was able to leave each one on all the time.
From a power consumption point of view, one of these does not use up much power, especially if you have a dimmer switch and often keep it down low.
Bottom line. If you purchase a new lamp, don’t leave it home alone. Observe it several days running until it becomes clear that the electronics are stable.
How do you clean a salt lamp?
Here’s how you clean your salt lamp that’s gotten dusty or dirty:
- Turn it off.
- The cord and the bulb can be removed from the rock. Separate them.
- Wring out a moist cloth very well and use this to clean the surface of your lamp. I find microfibre cloth works very well.
- For stubborn dirt, it is safe to use a scourer. If you clean your crystal regularly though, you shouldn’t have build-up. At most, you’ll have a light film of dust.
- If you live in a dry climate, it is safe to air-dry it outside. If not, pat dry with an absorbent lint-free cloth, assemble back again, and turn it on to warm the salt lamp and dry it out further.
What size should I get?
If you are about to buy, you should already know the size of the room where you will put it in. This is because you will match the size of your crystal to the size of the room.
See what size crystal you need using the table below:
- For small rooms (10×10 sq.ft.) get a salt lamp weighing up to 7 lbs.
- For medium rooms (12×12 sq.ft.) get a salt lamp weighing up to 9-11 lbs.
- For large rooms (14×14 sq.ft.) get a salt lamp weighing up to 12-15 lbs.
- For very large rooms (30×30 sq.ft.) get a salt lamp weighing up to 40-50 lbs.
How long do salt lamps last?
Good news! It should last forever barring any accidental drops or dunkings in water.
Here are some reminders for maintenance:
- You will need to change out the light bulb regularly. Make sure you are always getting the right kind and wattage. Too high and it will be bad for the wiring. Too low and it won’t get warm.
- Wrap in plastic if you are going to be away for days at a time. A large supermarket plastic bag will do or you can also use plastic food wrap.
Author: Mary Lou
In the Before Times, Maru spent vacations traveling and making stops at showrooms to test the latest massage chair models. Nowadays, she’s hunkered down in her small sunlit home dotted with her ever-growing collection of fiddle fig trees, indoor plants, and Himalayan salt lamps. Find her at LinkedIn.