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Top 5 Ways to Ruin Antiques.
From Pamela Wiggins
No one intentionally ruins an antique, right? But lots of people do make costly mistakes caring for antiques every day simply because they don't know any better. Read on for valuable information to keep you from making an error you'll live to regret, especially if you try to sell a treasured antique in the future..
1. Improper Cleaning
Cleaning some antiques makes them more desirable and valuable, but that's not always the case. For instance, cleaning the "patina" from a really hard to find Roycroft copper lamp can diminish the value greatly, while gently washing a rare piece of Depression glass won't hurt it a bit. It's wise to do some research to find out how cleaning will impact the value of an antique before you begin. Talk to an expert collector or dealer in the particular area you're researching, if needed..
2. Refinishing Furniture
Should you always refinish antique furniture? Definitely not. In fact, the less is more rule should be applied in most cases. If you happen to have a rare antique, or maybe even a furniture masterpiece, removing the original finish can be disastrous. Many times a gentle cleaning will suffice. More common pieces can be refinished, but do yourself a favor and read up on cream of the crop antique furniture if you don't know how to tell the difference. .
3. Displaying in Sunlight
What do old paper, vintage textiles and early plastics have in common? They're all susceptible to damage from direct sunlight. Paper, including photographs, will yellow and crack, the vibrant colors in textiles will fade, and plastics will melt rendering a piece you'll no longer be proud to own or pass down to the grandkids. Take care to display your antiques and collectibles in dimly lit areas or for short periods of time in sunny rooms. Always avoid direct sunlight..
4. Amateur Restoration
Restoring an antique to its original glory might seem like a good idea, and sometimes it is. But a do-it-yourself paint job on the mechanical bank you inherited from your great-grandfather is a no-no. This is another area where an expert's advice will be invaluable. Sure, if you just need to glue in a rhinsetone that's popped out of a vintage brooch (using GS Hypo Cement) or sew a rag doll's button eye back in place, that's fine. Leave the more complicated restoration projects to professionals.
5. Improper Storage
If we could create a museum setting in our homes, it would be the perfect environment for our antiques and collectibles. In most instances that's not possible, but we do need to be mindful of proper storage in order to preserve an item's rich in history for posterity. Keep heirlooms out of unusually damp areas like basements and overly hot areas like attics, if at all possible. In general, if you store your treasures where you're comfortable, they'll be comfortable too.
Keeping your prized possessions in top shape through proper storage
Chances are if you're reading this, you've accumulated a few collections over time. Like me, you may not have intended to have quite as many as you do, but there they are in your home.
Now that you own them, the task of conservation falls on your shoulders. Although most people don't have the time and resources to learn how to care for their heirlooms in the same fashion as a museum would, there are some basic things to consider for all collections, whether made from paper, metal, glass or ceramic materials.
For instance, light can harm most any collectible, especially organic materials like wood, paper and textiles. In addition to fading colors in prints and fabrics, harsh light can dry out many materials and can speed up chemical reactions that occur naturally over time.
All collections should be displayed away from direct sunlight.
Even things that seem indestructible, like plastics, can melt when stored near a sunny window. Lights in display cabinets should be used sparingly as well. Turning display lights on when the air feels a bit damp helps alleviate humidity, however.
And speaking of humidity, a good balance remains important for most antique items. When there's not enough humidity, items like paintings, wood and paper can shrink, crack and become very brittle. When humidity reaches excessive levels, rust can develop on metal items, mold can grow and insects are encouraged to breed.
Both light levels and humidity can be tested in the home for those who're really serious about protecting their valuable collections. Light meters can be purchased at photo supply shops and hygrometers for checking humidity are available at most hardware stores.
In general, light levels should be fairly low for most collectibles so displaying them in a hallway or specific room with adequate window coverings can help. Humidity should be at about 50% when possible.
Another consideration is temperature.
Avoid the extreme temperature fluctuations of storing collectibles in attics or garages, especially when considering organic materials. The ideal temperature for preservation hovers around 64 degrees. That's a little cold for most people. And around here you'd spend in excess trying to maintain it during the summer.
If you have one room in your home that tends to be a little cooler than the rest of the house year round, that's going to be your best spot for displaying and storing collections. Again, hallways and dimly lit rooms seem to provide a little more coolness so consider those areas for fragile items like paper and textiles.
And if you decide to change the way your storing items, moving from hot to cold and vice versa, do so gradually. Most antiques can be shocked when exposed to temperature extremes too quickly. For example, when exposed to extreme temperature changes the tiny cracks in the glaze of ceramics, called crazing, can appear more rapidly than they would have naturally.
Another way to keep most any item in top shape comes through avoiding excessive handling.
The oily residue on skin can remain on items causing deterioration. That's why you often see museum curators wearing white cotton gloves when handling precious commodities. The more fragile items are handled, the more likely they are to be broken as well. For this reason, they should be cleaned only as often as necessary.
To assemble a collectibles cleaning kit, consider rounding up the following items: soft bristled brushes, cans of moisture free compressed air, cotton swabs, distilled water and isopropyl alcohol.
Brushes can often be found when you're out foraging for garage sale finds. Artist's brushes, shaving brushes and soft paintbrushes are all great for dusting away loose particles.
Canned air can be purchased at office supply stores and works well for cleaning items to delicate to brush.
When an item needs to be wet cleaned, if dry cleaning methods haven't quite done the trick, using distilled water avoids the chemical and minerals in tap water that can stain some materials. Isopropyl alcohol often comes in handy for cleaning many ceramics and porcelain pieces with a glazed finish.
Be careful though! Alcohol can take the finish off of wood and remove painting on glass. Also be careful when using detergents, since anything with bleach can be damaging to fragile items such as faux pearls adorning vintage clothing.
Clean Vintage Glass and Antique Porcelain Safely.
Cleaning vintage glass and antique porcelain should be done with the utmost of care. Before you wash your porcelain piece you have to remove the dust and the dirt from it. For un-restored antique porcelain you can use a soft brush to remove the dirt and use a mild dishwashing liquid to wash it. Never ever use abrasive cleaners or put porcelain in your dishwasher. Never immerse your porcelain in water completely, it is best to use a damp cloth to clean porcelain items. Use a dabbing or gentle wiping motion. If the porcelain piece has no stains, it is best to leave it alone and use a dry cleaning method instead. Use a dry, soft brush to remove dust and any particles. While cleaning your antique piece you have to take extra care to place it on a soft towel or other soft fabric.
If there is a need to remove some stains from the antique porcelain you can use cotton soaked in hydrogen peroxide (20% vol) and ammonia. You can re-soak the cotton swabs if needed during the cleaning process.
Vintage glass should also be never cleaned in a dishwasher or by using an abrasive cleaner. Wash one piece at a time using mild dishwashing liquid and warm water. Use a plastic bowl or bucket while you wash vintage glass pieces.
Before cleaning glass, take off any jewelry you have on your hands such as rings or bracelets so you don't risk scratching your piece. If you have hard water, consider using bottled or filtered water instead of tap water. Also, pad the washing and drying area with some soft towels or cloths.
If the glass you are cleaning is stained by alcohol or usage of hard water, you can use citric acid or white vinegar with warm water to clean such glasses.
For glass that has a foggy look to it, that is not original to the glass, toothpaste or denture whitening paste will work. Simply put a dab of the paste on your finger and gently rub the glass. This also removes smoke stains from being in a house where there are smokers.
For glass with mineral or chemical deposits, you can use the same chemical cleaner that you use to clean your bathtub or tile from calcium deposits. Be sure to rinse the chemical off quickly though.
When cleaning any glass, it is critical to use lukewarm water to rinse only. Using water that is too hot or too cold may risk shattering the glass.
For very expensive or old cut glass, etched glass or painted glass, be extra careful. Cleaning may damage these surfaces. For very fragile glass like this, it may be best to consult a professional conservator.
Avoid using strong acids while cleaning older glasses since they may etch the glass and spoil the look of the vintage glass.
After cleaning, it is best to let your antiques, whether glass or porcelain to air dry for a bit, then use a soft, lint free towel to gently dab any excess water off of them.
With careful cleaning and handling, your vintage glass and antique porcelain items will look beautiful for years to come.
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