Taking care of antique furniture is really difficult. It is not as resistant to contacts, requires exceptional care and specific cleaning products and methods. Given this, no wonder many people make mistakes when cleaning the pieces of antique furniture. We all know that scouring and scrubbing are the key to keeping our homes tidy, but with antique furniture, you can only end up doing more harm than good.
So how do you clean all the dirt and grime that has accumulated on your antique furniture? To help you out we have singled out some of the most common mistakes and what to do instead. Read on and see if you make any of these mistakes when cleaning antique furniture.
Cleaning With Regular Dish Soap – Regardless of how mild dish soap may be, never, never, never use it to clean your antique furniture. You can ask any reputable antique furniture Melbourne dealer and not a single one will recommend using regular soap. Wood cleaning soap, yes. Regular soap, big NO. The wood cleaning soap is made from natural, wooden ingredients which cannot harm your antique furniture.
Applying Wax Over The Old Wax – Many people apply wax over the old wax, which is another no-no according to reputable antique furniture Melbourne experts. The new wax simply cannot reach the surface of the antique furniture with the old wax still on. There are many efficient wax-remover cleaners for removing old wax from antique furniture that you can purchase at nearly every hardware store or antique shop. Once the old wax is removed, you can apply a layer of a new one.
Throw The Loose Pieces Away – No, never throw the loose pieces away. If you want to keep the values of your antique furniture, it is important to keep every single piece. Instead of getting rid of loose parts, try to glue them back. Before you actually clean the furniture, do any repairs they may be. Glue the loose pieces in order to be able to remove the excess glue.
Not Being Cautious Enough – By being extra cautious, we mean you should not use too much water, not to use hot water, not to rub too hard and be careful when choosing clearing soap and other tools you need. You should clean your antique furniture in multiple slow cycles instead in one, hard and quick cleaning cycle. In fact repeat the cleaning procedure until desired results.
Use Wax Only Once – Most people use wax only once. As most antique furniture Melbourne experts suggest, wax should be reapplied once done with the touch-ups. This wax layer is applied to protect the newly cleaned and shiny furniture, unlike furniture sprays which only provide a shine.
