CLEANING AND POLISHING ANTIQUE FURNITURE

Yes, a home can be a castle, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a stuffy museum. You may have inherited some antique furniture or you may be a collector of antiquity yourself – either way, these precious pieces need the appropriate maintenance and care if they are to retain their natural beauty and their value.

The general definition of an antique is something that is 100 years or older, but it is worth noting that not every ‘antique’ is valuable nor does it necessarily have an historic value. However, most have an emotional or sentimental value and perhaps for that reason alone, it’s worth caring for them properly.

There’s a difference in how you treat antique furniture and modern contemporary furniture. The use of sprays, polishes, wood oil or finishes can significantly affect the value of the piece and it’s really important to know how to care, repair and maintain antique wooden furniture properly.

There are three main elements to preserving antique furniture, namely cleaning, protection and location.

Cleaning

A regular dusting is the first element but take care to be gentle. It isn’t good for any piece of furniture to have layers of dust on it, but it’s equally damaging to rub or dust very vigorously. A soft cotton, lint-free cloth should be used and commercial sprays or polishes should be avoided. Furniture oil will improve the look and finish of wood in the short-term, it can leave a residue which attracts dust, it can stain and it can actually weaken the finish of the wood. Polishes and oils that contain silicone should also be avoided as they can leave penetrate the wood plus leave a film that is hard to get off.

The best furniture or leather care is to apply a thin coat of natural wax polish, followed by a gentle buffing with a soft slightly dampened cloth and regular dusting.

Protection

Cleaning and polishing is one thing, but it’s also important to protect your pieces from life’s daily realities!. Whilst a gorgeous vase of freshly picked flowers sitting atop a gleaming antique is a classic combination, water and wood are not good companions. Any spilt liquid should be wiped up immediately (ensure the surface is 100% dry) and place the vase on a protective mat (eg a square of felt etc) to prevent it from scratching. All ornaments, photograph frames etc should have little felt dots on the underside to avoid damaging the delicate wooden surface.

To prevent the surface from fading unevenly, you should try and move your display items around a bit. And remember that metal scratches wood, so take care when laying cutlery on tabletops etc.

When using a vacuum cleaner, take care not to scratch or dent the surface with the hard plastic nozzle.

Location

As sunlight is another enemy of antiques, one should avoid placing them in front of windows. Once a piece has been faded by sunlight, not even a thorough wax polish will restore it to its original colour and beauty. Wooden furniture will react adversely if the environment is too dry or if there is too much humidity – so keeping temperature changes to the minimum is advisable. When it’s too dry, wood can crack and the glue joints can loosen, whilst a humid environment can cause wood to warp, mildew to form and veneer to swell.

Antiques shouldn’t be placed in front of heating and airconditioning vents, radiators, fireplaces or stoves.

Caring for antiques isn’t hard. To get the best furniture finish for your precious pieces and to keep their heritage and their beauty shining through, a little knowledge and a little effort will go a long way!.

Information from CARING FOR ANTIQUES – ELBOW GREASE AND WAX POLISH