Why do lamp shades give of an odour after light switched on for a period?

Question

Primarily cloth/fabric light shades, typically bed side, give off an ammonia type odour. Is this due to dust heating up/burning off albeit have tried dusting to no avail. What causes this and is there an easy solution.

Answer 1

probably dust, make sure its dust free.  i saw a tip on Kim & Aggie last week they put some fabric conditioner on a cloth and wiped it over the lampshade, when it heats up the room smells nice also its anti static which would help stop dust a bit.  hope this helps.  

Answer 2

Yes its due to the dust being burned off  the light bulb.

I live in a very dusty part of Spain and I'm continually dusting but the bulbs still manage to collect dust and smell horrible, if I dust the bulb then put the light on it doesn't smell .

Edit

Another thought your bulb wattage could be too Strong for the shade so it is heating  it up and the dye in the fabric is smelling.

Answer 3

Use a compact fluorescent bulb. It will run cooler and not create the smell.  

Answer 4

Well, I’ve never experienced this before, so the dust burning off a bulb could explain the smell. However, since household dust is mainly human skin, I find this fairly unlikely. Also, if the shade were getting enough heat to burn dust, I would have thought the material might scorch. More likely are small insects, mites etc. on the bulb burning and giving off ammonia. Or maybe dies in the material or perhaps absorbing unnoticeable odours over the day, and releasing them in concentration when the bulb is on?

Have you thought of trying a low-energy bulb that doesn’t get so hot and presumably would at least reduce the odour, if not eliminate it?

Answer 5

I would say change the fittings where the bulbs go. They might be deteriorating and burning, causing the smell.

Just have a little look at the insides of the shades, make sure there are no scorch marks. If there are, obviously stop using them straight away.

If they are coloured on the inside of the shade, maybe the dyes are reacting to the heat from the bulb.