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.
