5 Best Tips for Antique Furniture Care

Antique Furniture Care - What Should I Do?

5 Best Tips for Antique Furniture Care

Here at EuroLux Antiques, we are often asked how to best care for antique furniture. Just remember these five key tips for antique furniture care, and your antiques will look great for many years to come.

Dodge the Draft

My best piece of advice when it comes to caring for antique furniture is to avoid air blowing directly on your piece of furniture. Don't place antique furniture over or next to a heat register in the floor or under a vent in the ceiling. Wood separation, splitting, and cracking are exacerbated by fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Find out more about wood separation here.

Keep out of Sunlight

Direct sunlight falling on a piece of antique furniture will cause the finish to deteriorate at an accelerated rate. Eventually the finish will look very faded and washed out. Of course, you don't need to keep your home in the dark in order to care for your antique furniture. Just be sure to have some sort of sheer curtains, or blinds, so that you can diffuse harsh sunlight.

Use a Humidifier

If you live in a geographic area where there are significant swings in humidity throughout the year, you may want to place a humidifier in your home in order to help care for your antique furniture. The moisture content in the wood of your antique furniture will adjust to the ambient humidity in your home. These fluctuations throughout the year, from the humid days of summer to the dryness caused by heating your home in the winter, will cause an increase in wood separation, and may result in splits and cracks in your wood.

Avoid Spray-On Products

Don't use cleaning products that you spray on your antique furniture. These products actually create a waxy buildup over time that will make your antique furniture look hazy and dull. They actually attract dust, which means you have to buy another bottle of the product, making the manufacturer happy. Just use a soft rag, very slightly dampened, or a duster, to lift the dust on a regular biweekly or monthly basis.

Apply Paste Wax Once Per Year

The best way to care for your antique furniture, on an on-going basis, is to use a good paste wax once per year. There are quite a few brands of paste wax available on the market, but we prefer TLC wax. We find it gives a beautiful glow and is easier to work with than other brands. Apply a thin layer of paste wax with 0000 (4x) steel wool and then buff off with a microfiber towel or use a brush attachment with a drill.

Remember these 5 tips for antique furniture care and your antiques will look beautiful for many years to come!