subject: Ways to maintain your English antique furniture [print this page] Ways to maintain your English antique furniture
Antiques are old collectible items that represent a previous era in human society. Antiques are frequently used for the sake of symbolic beauty, and antique furniture has the added bonus of having some functional use, along with their aesthetic value. They usually show a degree of craftsmanship and are desired because of their age, rarity and unique features. Keeping this in mind, if you do own a piece of English antique furniture, it is wise to keep it intact, clean and well maintained, as antiques are extremely valuable.
Unlike their tough and durable modern counterparts, English antique furniture is extremely delicate, and can easily be damaged. Keeping them intact and clean takes some extra effort and care as ordinary cleaning products cannot be used on them. Normally, a quick spray with a household cleaner and a wipe down is enough to take care of sticky stains and spills on modern furniture. However, as the finish on antique furniture is extremely delicate, these modern cleaning products cannot be used on them as use of these products will actually cause damage and reduce the value of your furniture something that should be avoided at all costs. So just how do you keep your English antique furniture intact? By going old school, and using old fashioned methods! Throw your fancy household cleaners and pre-moistened wipes away, and treat your antique furniture the way it was done back in the day.
Frequent dusting every couple of days should keep dirt and grime away. By dusting your English antique furniture at least once a week, this will prevent the accumulation of tough stains, which will need rougher cleaning methods. Do not use any type of dusting device in case this scratches your furniture - using a soft cloth on broad flat surfaces is sufficient. Chemical products, furniture polish and sprays should never be used as these can actually stain the wood, induce weak spots and add to the wear and tear. English antique furniture commonly has detailed intricate carvings as a form of decoration. These tend to gather dust which cannot be removed with a soft cloth. For these areas, whisking the area with a soft paintbrush or a used toothbrush ought to do the trick. Avoid using harsh scrubbing material like steel wool as this will damage your furniture.
Sticky spots on your antique furniture can be removed with the use of lemon juice. To be safe, it is best to test the effect of lemon juice on an inconspicuous area first. Every couple of months or so, you can use certain polishes such as Orange oil, which is good for cleaning antique furniture and can apply a very thin wax coat to encourage a shine.
