Antiques are precious and prized possessions from the past, which are now with you for their protection from damage. Antiques that have lost their character or charm does not possess any value; thus, it is truly essential to keep them in the best state. Here are a few crucial tips on how you must care about your precious antiques at home.
How to take care of antique furniture?
- Dust them regularly with a soft cloth.
- Polish them once or twice a year with good quality beeswax-based polish.
- Don’t use a spray polish.
- Keep the temperature and humidity level in control.
- Keep them away from the direct sunlight as it fades and deteriorates the finish of the furniture.
- Make sure to draw the curtains of the room (when not in use) in which your antique furniture is present.
- Keep a check on furniture regularly, in case, of any water damage or woodworm holes in them.
- Get the damage repaired from a reputed restoration store.
How to take care of antique clocks?
- Keep their mechanism in use.
- Wind the clocks properly with the right key size.
- Do not use ammonia-based glass cleaners to clean any part of the antique clock like gilded or painted glass, gilding, dial, and clock face.
- Winding needs precision and carefulness to ensure the proper working of the grandfather clock or any other antique clock.
How to take care of antique pottery and porcelain?
- Do not use harsh cleaning agents to clean them.
- You must keep the antique pottery and porcelain behind the glass.
- Use a soft damp cloth to clean the dust on the pottery or porcelain gently.
- Don’t use any sticking thing on the lid or body of the pottery or porcelain to avoid the removal of the gilding or enamel layer.
- Hold them with care by their central part and not by their handle as the handle is mostly the weakest part of these items.
How to take care of antique silver items?
- Make sure to wash antique silverware in hot soapy water.
- You must remove the tarnish from the silverwares with the help of the products available in the market.
- Do not use silver polishes regularly as they are abrasive and can damage the essence of the silverware with its abusive usage.
- If you want to preserve the shine of regular silver items, then wrap them up in a dry piece of acid-free tissue paper and keep them in a plastic bag.
How to preserve your antique jewelry?
- Do not use any chemical-based jewelry cleaner to protect them from any damage.
- Use ordinary soap, water, and a toothbrush to clean your antique jewelry.
- Apply hairspray or perfume before putting on your antique piece of jewelry.
- Use some toothpaste with the help of a toothbrush to clean your diamond pieces.
- Do not apply any other spray as it can damage the pearls and can leave stains on gold or silver piece of antique jewelry.
Winding up
Make sure to do a patch test before using any of the cleaning methods. It is mostly because every antique piece has its unique property; thus, they might require an individual consultant’s opinion. Not every technique must be suitable for your precious antiques.
