7 Tips on How to Take Care for Antique Furniture and Carpets

Because of their age and rarity, monetary or sentimental value, antique furnishings require different care to preserve their beauty and integrity. Inadequate storage spaces, improper handling, cleaning products, which are not designed for antiques, and also poor placement are just a few of the reasons that will surely cause damages to your precious furniture. Sadly, unlike other pieces around your home most of antique pieces simply cannot be replaced. If you have sofa, carpets, chairs, tables, or even accessories with antique value read carefully through these 7 maintenance tips offered by carpet cleaning Swansea that will make them last longer. Protect Antiques from Direct Sunlight Direct light is extremely damaging to antique furniture and paintings of any kind. The sunlight causes wood parts, finish, and upholstery fabric to fade or turn yellow, so the best you can do is to avoid placing such items in the sunny spots of your house. If you have antiques pieces located near your windows, put thick blinds or drapes and keep them closed or use coverings on the furnishings to block out sunlight. Re-arrange and rotate antiques which may already have been exposed to the direct sunlight to prevent further fading of the colours and deterioration. The same applies to natural fibres and dyed Oriental rugs – don’t place them near windows, unless there’s a thick curtain to protect them. Re-arrange and Move with Care Antique furniture and accessories should be handled really carefully when you move or re-arrange them. Better lift the pieces instead of dragging them to avoid weakening of legs, joints, or feet. Lift chairs by their seat, not the by the armrests and move old tables by holding the aprons instead of their legs or tabletops. When opening antique desk’s drawers, gently pull it using both knobs or pulls instead of just one. If the drawers are stuck, or don’t roll smoothly take care of this by using proper lubricant. Always use old blanket or sheet as padding when you have to move antique, especially when placing another piece of furniture right next to it or on top of it when the furnishings are being transported into a moving vehicle. Prevent Water and Other Surface Damage The best you can do is to avoid placing food or drinks on your old furniture. If you still want to use your antique table, use placemats, coasters and pot-holders to prevent moisture or heat from spoiling the surface. When moving or placing decorative items or accessories on antique tabletops and shelves, lift them instead of dragging or sliding them when putting them on the new locations. If you have valuable antique carpet don’t place any potted plants on it, because there’s a risk of dye bleeding and even professional carpet cleaners can’t help you with such problem. Clean Antiques Properly Old furniture should be cleaned very carefully only with designed especially for antiques. Pay attention particularly to the finish on your furnishings in order to select the most appropriate products for cleaning and maintaining antiques. If you’re not sure about what cleaner to buy, turn to professional for advice. Both restoration experts and antique dealers will know which products are most suitable and will be able to recommend the best for your furniture.