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Having even just one antique furniture piece in your home can make your decor look more sophisticated and it will add some personality to it. However, cleaning and maintaining a vintage furniture piece is not as easy as you probably think it is because you:
- Can’t use standard cleaning products;
- Need to be extra careful and gentle when you clean them;
- Must avoid exposing your furniture to extreme temperatures;
- Have to follow many strict cleaning rules;
However, don’t be too quick to ditch your antique furniture piece. With a few simple cleaning tips, you will have zero problems caring for and maintaining your beautiful vintage furniture piece in a top shape.
Cleaning metal ornaments
While you may clean the metal ornaments on all other furniture pieces in your home with metal cleaning products, you should avoid doing that if the piece is antique. Although such cleaning supplies are not likely to damage the metal itself, they can easily destroy the wood under or around it. So, the best way to keep small metal ornaments such as keyholes and doorknobs clean is to simply dust them regularly.
Cleaning wood
It is really tricky to clean the wooden parts of antique furniture because making a mistake here is easier than you can possibly imagine. One wrong move, one lack of judgement and you can destroy the piece in seconds.
Be gentle
Old furniture pieces made of wood can be easily scratched. Even a dust feather can harm their surface, especially if some of the feathers are broken. To avoid that, use a soft cloth.
Choose the right cleaning products
Do not apply spray furniture cleaning products. With time, they will form a built-up grime residue on the surface and they will spoil the patina of the piece. Once again, use a simple soft cloth to dust the furniture and to give it some extra shine, use paste wax. Just don’t buy the cheapest available option because it will cause more damage to the piece than good. Apply a small amount of it and slowly and gently rub it (with a soft cloth) by following the wood’s grain.
In case of an emergency
If you have the misfortune to spill something on your antique furniture, do not attempt cleaning it yourself because you will make matters worse. It is best if you just call a professional furniture restorer who has the experience and the equipment to solve such issues.
Cleaning upholstery
When you find a stain or a spill on the upholstery part of your valuable antique furniture piece, you are actually allowed to clean it yourself. However, make sure you treat the affected area immediately so that you can clean it properly. It is also ok to vacuum your upholstery antique furniture as long as you use the low-power mode. And hear that, you can even deep clean this type of furniture. But just to play it safe, call a team of experienced upholstery cleaners in London. Not all cleaning techniques work for such old furniture pieces and you will definitely need an expert to make that call for you.
