St. Paul: Chandelier cleaning

by Marc Sanchez, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — The St. Paul hotel is in the home stretch of its centennial year. The hotel got a face lift in 1982 by Sarah Tomerlin Lee. Chandeliers weren't originally hanging in the lobby, but two were relocated and now are one of the first things guests see when they enter. There are four chandeliers in the main lobby, two are original and two are replicas, but it's nearly impossible to tell the difference.

Cleaning the chandeliers is an all-day process. Every four months the engineering staff lowers the fixtures for the cleaning staff to work their magic. Each tear is cleaned individually with special chandelier cleaning solution called "Sparkle Magic."

What emerges during this meticulous cleaning frenzy is a kind of meditative melody of glass. As the person cleaning the fixture maneuvers around it, the crystal tears begin to clink together. The more intense the scrubbing, the louder the sounds.