Caring for your fine antique wood furniture..

You've just brought home the most precious piece of furniture you own. Your first antique. You've been admiring it and after some great thought, carefully place it in just the perfect position. A few days later you notice it has a light dusting of powder. Oh no, it's dust. So you go running for the cleaning supplies.

Hold on..Stop everything. Before spraying that generic commercial wax over that beautiful antique piece which took over one hundred years to acquire, you should know a few things about caring for that piece of antiquity.

You needn't spend much money to properly care for your treasures. All it takes it some education, and a little discipline, and you'll be enjoying that beauty for years to come. You can preserve precious antiques by following certain guidelines.

Here are a few tips..

-Use a good wax polish. Wood naturally dries out as a result of the sap drying out from the fibers. Generally a result of modern central heating systems.

-Sudden changes in temperature and humidity do the most damage. Wherever possible, keep the furniture away from the woodstove and keep fresh air circulating in the room.

-Keep a small bowl of water on top of the woodstove to add some moisture to the air. If this isn't possible, consider having fresh flowers in the room, summer or winter. If flowers are placed directly on an antique, be certain to remove them prior to wilting, shedding, or dropping leaves. Petals, leaves, or pollen can stain wood.

-Summer sun can fade natural pigment in wood and natural dyes. Keep curtains drawn where sunlight would be direct on an antique rug, furniture.

-Use cotton rags from old sheets or pillowcases to polish furniture.Use polish sparingly and rub lightly in a circular motion.

Now that we know this.. Your fine antique is ready for another one hundred years.