Major Make Over - Considerations Before Starting Out

Dining tables and chairs, divans, bureau, dressers and other antique pieces of furniture usually come with artistic or intricate architectural woodworks and design. These composed of small crevices are usually a good medium for dirt and grime build-up. Dirt and grime become encrusted making it difficult to clean using ordinary dusters or cloth. Maintaining the original or somewhat near original appearance is as difficult as restoring it once dirt has taken its vengeance on the furniture.

Seeing that antique furniture and other items are quite pricey, necessary attention for its care should be used as continuous deterioration usually is applicable every day that will eventually lead to dilapidated woodworks. Plus, years of storage made nature to take-over by equally adding dirt of hundreds of years to accumulate. So there are basic guidelines that must be conscientiously followed in order that antiques will be able to stand the test of time longer and better.

You need to understand the concept and dynamics of the antique furniture before starting general cleaning. Check whether it is made of wood, wrought iron, steel, porcelain or glass? Having the knowledge about each type will help you decide on the specific cleaning materials and procedure. Generally, water is not used in cleaning antiques made from wood as water seeps in softening the texture of the wood and causes it to expand, destroying the original form of the item.

Take time to examine the furniture and research into some professional antique fixers who are acquainted with such type of furniture. Deciding for some repairs might do more harm than good if you decide it on your own and have it done by a local carpenter or a furniture maker. Professional antique restorer might decide that your furniture is better left off untouched as repairing it might alter the overall beauty and monetary value of the antique as extensive alterations will damage the originality and rarity of the merchandise.

Acquiant yourself with the various cleaning methods for such antiques. A few antiques may well do with just dusters, wood, brass or metal cleaners, cloth, soft-bristled toothbrush and slightly pointed or sharp-edged stick to reach deep crevices or carvings while others require more abrasive cleaning tools such as steel wool, hard-bristled brush and cleaning solution although most often it destroys the finish of the furniture with markings and scratches.

Make sure that you use the least harsh type of cleaning solution and method in cleaning antique furniture. Nature took charge for over a hundred of years to make such furniture reach into the 21st century thus it is only fitting that what nature did will be preserved. Do not be ruled over by the need clean or restore it as you can destroy a thousand years' masterpiece as what you may see as dirt only adds to the value, beauty and rarity of the commodity.

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