Ambiance Home Interiors & Antiques

Cleaning your antique furniture
The best way to protect the finish of your antique piece would be to use a good quality beeswax. There are several on the market, but our preference is Howard's Feed n Wax. It should be cleaned once or twice a year heavily and then sparsely polished for upkeep. You should apply your product using a small amount with a soft cloth, then wiping the piece with a lint free cloth. A good shine on your furniture comes from buffing your piece rather than lots of wax.Do not use silicone based sprays on your fine wood furniture as they will leave a film that is hard to remove. Avoid feather dusters because they will scratch the wood. If you need to detail a piece of furniture then use a soft brush in the decorative areas, being careful not to catch on any fragile areas causing them to break or come off.

General Antique Care
Storing your furniture correctly is very important. Condition of your furniture can be great affected by the temperature in your home. Excessively dry condition can cause your furniture to shrink and dry out, while excessively damp conditions will cause mold to produce on your furniture. Keeping your treasures in a stable environment where your temperature and humidity are level will keep your items in good condition.

The following points are worth bearing in mind:
Don't place furniture near heaters or stoves because this will cause shrinkage. This can loosen joints and veneers and change the quality of the piece over time.
Light can also damage furniture. Natural or artificial light of a high intensity can alter finishes and if severe can cause break down the woods. Use blinds or curtains to reduce light levels at all windows.
If moving furniture, remove drawers and lock doors so they don't open. Pieces should be padded and covered for transport. Use clean white cotton gloves when moving gilded furniture (available almost anywhere).

Lifting furniture should be done carefully. Check for loose areas. Chairs should be lifted (not dragged) by the seat rather than the back or arms. Tables should be lifted by the legs rather than the top, which can come off, causing damage.
Never lift an item by the crown or finials. Protect your items by asking for help in moving your furniture.

Removing white rings from furniture
If you have a white ring on your furniture, the good news is that it is removable. If you have a black ring, then it is in the wood and probably will not come out as easily. To remove a white ring which is usually made by leaving a glass or cup or coffee on wood furniture, would be to rub the spot with a small mixture of mayonnaise and toothpaste. Wipe this on and leave it for about 10 minutes, then remove and polish your furniture.