Why is my salt lamp turning white?
Do you own a salt lamp? Are you asking yourself, “Why is my salt lamp turning white?”
Salt lamps usually require very low maintenance. In fact, they are just a lump of salty minerals and have a light fitted inside. These “Himalayan Salt Lamps” are used by people who are more prone to allergies due to pollution or those who are a victim of lungs related diseases.
Such a lamp is believed to collect pollution from the air and make it clearer for breathing. The science behind it is explained further. Generally, the manufacture of white colored lamps is very unlikely.
Most of the lamps seen are of various colors. But, sometimes, due to some phenomenon, your colored lamp might turn white. So keep reading to know how does a salt lamp function and the cause of the lamp turning white.
Actually, there can be found a number of explanations about this cause of salt lamps turning white in color. But none seem to perfectly explain the actual cause and effect.
Salt Lamp Turning White: The cause and effect
Salt lamps generally require very low maintenance. The chance of something going wrong with a salt lamp is very minimal. Basically, it is a salt block having a light bulb fitted inside it. And the minerals present in the salt crystal have just one job- which depends on their natural property, refraction of light.
While this tells us about the extreme simplicity of the design of salt lamps, it also raises the question in our mind about its genuinity, whenever its color changes to white. We might wonder if our salt lamp is a fake one, not made up of actual Himalayan Salt crystals, and therefore changing its color.
The air inside the room contains moisture with water vapor and dust particles. These dust particles get mixed up with the water vapor and get attracted towards the salt lamp with the water molecule. This way the salt lamp attracts the dust carrying water molecules and makes the air around you purified.
As the lamp attracts water from the atmosphere, it can be said to be hygroscopic. As the water gets deposited on the outer surface of the crystal, some of the salt’s ionic crystal structure tends to break down as the ionic bonds are water soluble.
As the water evaporates back to the atmosphere, the ionic bonds form again when the salt solution gets back to its initial configuration. This process results in the formation of a layer of white crystals around the salt lamp.
This change only affects the outer surface of the lamp and the inner structure is preserved with the same beauty radiating colorful wavelengths of light.
How to get rid of the white salt lamp and The Remedy
The whitening of the outer surface of the lamp should not be a matter for worrying. As these changes only occur on the outer surface and the crystals are soluble in water, you can always wipe out the outer deposited layer using a damp cloth and bring back the charm of the lamp.
It is to be noted that the overall composition of the salt lamp does not change with the accumulation of the white layer of the ionized crystal, only the outer surface gets covered, thereby preserving the entire crystal structure.
As the crystal body is soluble in moisture, it has to be taken care that the salt lamps are not used in areas of high humidity.
If used, the white layer build-up will occur at an increasing rate and the salt lamp has to be required to be maintained very frequently. Therefore it is advised not to use the salt lamp in your bathroom or sauna or even in an incomplete basement.
While the white layer might be a matter of concern to you, it does not actually affect the performance of the salt lamp. You can still receive the required amber glow from the lamp even if the white layer around the lamp still exists.
One more thing must be taken care of while wiping the white layer around the lamp with a damp cloth, the pressure exerted must be minimal. As the salt lamps are very sensitive and prone to fracture, any extra pressure must cause breakage of the salt lamp and destroy it completely.
Fake or Real?
Despite the manufacturers claiming the salt lamps to be genuine and completely made up of salt crystals obtained from Pakistani foothills of Himalayas, there is no guarantee that the product is original. To be assured that your salt lamp is not a fake one, you must try checking for the following credibility before getting it to your home:
- An original salt lamp lacks durability. Due to the minerals it is made up of, the natural configuration makes it more prone to breakage. Thus, dropping a salt lamp will damage the whole crystal.
- If the salt lamp emits very bright light, then immediately get confirmed that the crystals are not genuine.
- An original salt lamp has a mention of Pakistan.
- It must be very resistive to water.
A white “Himalayan Salt Lamp” is possible, but rare. Even if you find a white crystal salt lamp it must be very expensive. Therefore, if someone offers you a white lamp at a cheaper price or within the price of normal colored lamps, you need to have a little good chat with him.
A genuine “Himalayan Salt Lamp” is composed of remains of minerals from the sea. They are able to lighten up your surroundings and are generally purchased because of their plethora of health benefits which are mainly the reflection of their ability to extract pollution from the air.
So next time when you are worried about whether your lamp is genuine or not due to the white layer around its surface, try wiping the surface with a damp cloth. If the problem still persists, then you might need to have a little talk with the manufacturer!
