1. To remove dirt or dust from your antiques, clean or “polish” them with a soft cloth wet dipped in a glass cleaner. Never use commercial detergents or polishes.
2. Take care of the furniture by wiping it with a damp cloth, beeswax or Minwax (or any clear paste). Do not use lemon oil or other furniture oils.
3. Use a scalpel, razor blade, craft knife or fine steel wool to remove burn marks from furniture. Fill the resulting shallow hole with varnish if you want a glossy finish, or mix it with turpentine to get a matt look. Oil colors mixed with linseed oil will also work. Alternatively, make filler from colored beeswax, a mixture of shellac and powder pigment or a mixture of powder stain with epoxy resin or other mediums.
4. Glue or tape a plastic sheet at the back of artworks... Show the rest
10 Tips For Cleaning and Caring For Your Nantucket Antiques
1. To remove dirt or dust from your antiques, clean or “polish” them with a soft cloth wet dipped in a glass cleaner. Never use commercial detergents or polishes.
2. Take care of the furniture by wiping it with a damp cloth, beeswax or Minwax (or any clear paste). Do not use lemon oil or other furniture oils.
3. Use a scalpel, razor blade, craft knife or fine steel wool to remove burn marks from furniture. Fill the resulting shallow hole with varnish if you want a glossy finish, or mix it with turpentine to get a matt look. Oil colors mixed with linseed oil will also work. Alternatively, make filler from colored beeswax, a mixture of shellac and powder pigment or a mixture of powder stain with epoxy resin or other mediums.
4. Glue or tape a plastic sheet at the back of artworks and old photographs that are hung on damp walls to protect them from being damaged by mildew. The plastic sheet will create a vapor barrier that will prevent mildew from forming, and can also be used for paintings on any wall where condensation can occur.
5. Stick pieces of broken pottery, porcelain or stoneware together using white glue so that it melds with the color of the clay, and so helps to hide the join. Apply the glue and press the pieces together to get a tight fit. Use a damp cloth to wipe out excess glue off the sides of the pieces, and hold them tightly together when drying. If necessary, use masking tape or, where appropriate, elastic bands or clamps to hold the parts together.
6. Small water marks can be removed from furniture by working them a paste (a mixture of 2 tablespoons of fine ash and a dab of cooking oil or Vaseline) in a circular motion into the surface until the white ring disappears. Use a soft cloth to apply the paste.
7. Never use lime, calcium or rust-removers on platinum or gold-banded crystals because they can change the color of or stain these metal-bands permanently. Rust-remover will remove the protective coating or glaze on china items.
8. Dust horns, jade and ivory with a dry soft cloth or a soft brush. Avoid keeping these items in direct sunlight because they may dry and become brittle. As with any natural animal objects, you have to handle them very carefully when moving them.
9. Use cotton gloves when handling silver items to prevent acids and oils from your skin from coming into contact with the silver. These can damage and tarnish the silver, since skin oils can be very corrosive to certain metals. If you can't get cotton gloves, use latex, but only if necessary.
10. Soak stoneware dishes in a gallon of hot water containing dissolved denture cleaning tablets for 24 hours to get rid of stains. This makes cleaning much easier.
The above tips are some of the ways you can ensure that your antiques remain durable and clean when they are in your home.
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