The most basic guideline
for furniture maintenance is very simple and
straightforward. It is to handle furniture carefully
and thoughtfully. There are a few suggestions that can
be made for cleaning furniture made of different
surfaces. As it has been found, that a number of the
cleaning practices followed normally, actually damages
the furniture. Here are a few tips to clean, polish
and maintain your furniture:
The simplest way of maintaining furniture is
to use it carefully and keep it clean.
Wooden furniture should be cleaned only when
there is a build up of wax or dirt.
Unfinished wood, painted wood and wood with
sturdy finish should be cleaned regularly.
The finish on giltwood is water soluble
therefore it should be dusted and not cleaned. A professional
should clean it.
Before cleaning wood, decide whether the
surface is stable enough to use a cleaning or polishing agent.
As the cleaning agent can damage some surfaces. If the surface
is damage to begin with then give the furniture to a
conservator.
Find out what kind of dirt has settled on the
furniture and what kind of surface the piece has. The simplest
thing to do is to find out what will remove the dirt without
damaging the surface.
Loose dust can be easily removed with
lint-free cloth by gently wipe the surface of the furniture
with this cloth. Dust can be removed by wiping with a damp
cloth. Dust can scratch the surface therefore work carefully.
To dust carved surfaces use a soft natural bristle brush. Do
not use a feather duster, as it will scratch the surface.
If the surface condition is good then you can
use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust. But do not let the metal
and plastic parts of the vacuum cleaner drag over the surface
you are cleaning, as it will result in scratches.
Wax, oil and other dirt, that has built up on
the furniture can be removed by using mineral spirit, naphtha
or paint thinner. You will have to find out which solvent
removes the dirt. For this, dip cotton ball in the solvent and
apply on a small area of the furniture that is not visible to
the eye. If there is no damage to the surface then you can use
the solvent. Use diluted solvent.
Finished wood can be cleaned with a cloth
dampened in cleaning solvent. Clean a small area at a time and
the cleaning solution should be used in small quantities. Too
much solvent can damage the furniture surface. Wipe the
cleaned surface with a wet cloth to remove cleaner residue.
Finally wipe clean with a soft dry cloth.
Applying hard paste wax can reduce
maintenance of furniture. Hard wax surface is easy to dust and
clean.
