How to Take Care Of Antique Furniture In Your Home
Caring for Antique Furniture in Your Home
You can never go wrong with antique furniture for your house. Antique pieces add character, uniqueness, personality and style to your home. Apart from being magnificent pieces of furniture, they always have interesting stories attached to them; stories that make amazing conversation starters. At the same time, they can be very valuable. For this reason, it is important that you learnt how to care for antique pieces in your house.
Avoid Extreme Temperatures
Even with the increasing price and decreasing size of living spaces, which also forces many to opt for pieces of furniture such as bunk beds or futons, you should be mindful of areas that get too cold or too hot as excessive heat or cold can damage furniture. The two temperature extremities can degrade furniture by contracting or expanding the wood, hinges, joints, inlays and marquetry.
This also goes for high humidity or excessive moisture. Warmth and moisture provide favourable conditions for mould to grow. Furniture experts recommend that you keep your antique pieces in a room with a dehumidifier to take care of the humidity problem. Additionally, keep your antique furniture in areas that do not get too cold or too hot. It will in your best interest to avoid the attic as well as the basement.
Be Mindful Of Sun Exposure
Same as exposing your pieces to extreme temperatures, leaving your furniture in sun’s way will have unwanted results. The heat from the sun as well as the Ultra Violet rays can lighten fabric used in upholstery as well as damage the finishing on the furniture. It is important that you keep your antique pieces away from the window. Nevertheless, if you must have them by the window, use curtains to keep the sun out.
Keep Your Furniture Clean
Clean your antique pieces once every fortnight. While at it, use a soft and slightly dampened lint free cloth. In addition, turn the cloth frequently as you clean to avoid scratches. To make the wood stand out, rub and shine furniture wax over your pieces once per year. For brass antique pieces, never shine them as doing so only degrades the value of your furniture.
Move furniture carefully
Heavy furniture such as full over full bunk beds can be difficult to move. All the same, take care when moving valuable antique pieces. Even before, you start moving the furniture around; clear the path for easier movement. If you can take your antique piece apart, as in the case of bunk beds or marble-glass tables, it is always right and wise to move each part individually. Also, always lift furniture as opposed to dragging it.
You can never go wrong with antique furniture for your house. Antique pieces add character, uniqueness, personality and style to your home. Apart from being magnificent pieces of furniture, they always have interesting stories attached to them; stories that make amazing conversation starters. At the same time, they can be very valuable. For this reason, it is important that you learnt how to care for antique pieces in your house.
Avoid Extreme Temperatures
Even with the increasing price and decreasing size of living spaces, which also forces many to opt for pieces of furniture such as bunk beds or futons, you should be mindful of areas that get too cold or too hot as excessive heat or cold can damage furniture. The two temperature extremities can degrade furniture by contracting or expanding the wood, hinges, joints, inlays and marquetry.
This also goes for high humidity or excessive moisture. Warmth and moisture provide favourable conditions for mould to grow. Furniture experts recommend that you keep your antique pieces in a room with a dehumidifier to take care of the humidity problem. Additionally, keep your antique furniture in areas that do not get too cold or too hot. It will in your best interest to avoid the attic as well as the basement.
Be Mindful Of Sun Exposure
Same as exposing your pieces to extreme temperatures, leaving your furniture in sun’s way will have unwanted results. The heat from the sun as well as the Ultra Violet rays can lighten fabric used in upholstery as well as damage the finishing on the furniture. It is important that you keep your antique pieces away from the window. Nevertheless, if you must have them by the window, use curtains to keep the sun out.
Keep Your Furniture Clean
Clean your antique pieces once every fortnight. While at it, use a soft and slightly dampened lint free cloth. In addition, turn the cloth frequently as you clean to avoid scratches. To make the wood stand out, rub and shine furniture wax over your pieces once per year. For brass antique pieces, never shine them as doing so only degrades the value of your furniture.
Move furniture carefully
Heavy furniture such as full over full bunk beds can be difficult to move. All the same, take care when moving valuable antique pieces. Even before, you start moving the furniture around; clear the path for easier movement. If you can take your antique piece apart, as in the case of bunk beds or marble-glass tables, it is always right and wise to move each part individually. Also, always lift furniture as opposed to dragging it.