Beautiful English antique tables can become the cornerstone of your home life for generations. The joy of antiques is that they often look even more beautiful the more they age, although as functional pieces, they’re not immune to picking up some daily stresses, too.
In many cases, the odd bump or scrape just adds more character to a gorgeous antique. However, if you want to make sure your favourite antique chairs or tables are in top shape when the time comes to pass them down, there are some simple things you can do to keep them looking and feeling great.
Restoring or Cleaning Antique Furniture
First of all, if you’ve found the perfect antique but feel like it needs a bit of TLC, you may want to consider restoration. At The Parson’s Nose, I ensure all our antiques have been carefully cleaned and prepared, letting their inherent beauty shine without losing any of that period quality.
If your antique is visibly dirty, use a touch of mild soap and wipe it down with care. I would rarely fully wash a piece of furniture, as you can easily damage the finish if you’re being overzealous.
If you have antiques that you feel need some serious looking over, it’s worth considering professional restoration to ensure they retain that original finish.
Here’s a simple process you can follow for cleaning your antique wooden furniture:
- Dust the wood with a dry soft cloth.
- Dilute some mild dish soap in warm water.
- Dip a clean, soft cloth in the soapy water, then wring it out. The cloth should be almost dry, as water can damage antique wood.
- Find a small section of wood that’s hidden from sight and wipe the cloth in light strokes along the grain to test for any adverse reaction*. If there is none, continue wiping the rest of the antique.
- Wipe the antique again with a fresh, dry cloth to pick up any excess moisture.
- Add a coat of natural wax to help protect it long-term (more on this below).
*The main thing to be aware of is shellac, which is sometimes used as a wood finish instead of lacquer or varnish. If your antique has a shellac finish, it may react adversely to soap, which is why it’s always worth testing. If you have a shellac finish, you can clean it with just water, although you might need a specialist solution for harder stains.
Always use a mild soap as opposed to modern wood cleaners, as these can sometimes contain chemicals that damage the old wood.
Where to Place Antique Furniture
Where you put your antiques in your home will likely have an impact on their long-term health. Fluctuations in temperature or humidity, as well as direct sunlight, can all cause reactions with the wood or its finish.
Such is the nature of modern life that such environmental changes are hard to avoid – many of us are blessed with four distinct seasons, after all. However, a little bit of care every few weeks, as well as simple things such as keeping antiques out of direct sunlight, can all help to keep your antiques in good condition.
Regular Waxing to Care for Antique Wood Furniture
Arguably, the single best thing you can do for the long-term health of wooden antiques is keep them waxed. Always use a natural wax, such as beeswax, over a modern wood wax, which can contain potentially damaging chemicals.
There are multiple reasons why waxing is so good for antique furniture:
- The wax provides a layer of protection from dust, dirt and stains, making cleaning easier.
- Wax can bring out a wood’s colour and patina, creating a beautiful appearance.
- Natural wax provides nutrients to the wood, helping to keep its strength.
Generally, you should only need to wax antique wooden furniture once or twice a year, depending on how dry or dulled the wood looks. If your furniture appears particularly dry, look for a liquid wax and allow it to absorb into the wood overnight before polishing. You should eventually see a patina starting to come through.
Weekly Dusting Helps Protect the Wax
Ideally, the wax covering will help nourish and protect the wood long-term. Between your bi-annual waxings, however, you can help it out by keeping on top of dust and any other spills or dirt.
If you can keep on top of general messes, all you need to do is give your antique wood a dusting over once a week or fortnight. Doing this stops dust from being absorbed into the wax, encouraging it to form a hard outer shell that will give your antiques a lovely sheen.
The beauty of antiques is in their simplicity – it’s all about excellent materials and stunning craftsmanship. A little bit of simple cleaning, with natural waxes and light dusting, will make sure your beautiful heirlooms continue to shine for future generations.