Creative Home

There are hundreds of channels on televisions now with people watching things we never would have imagined just a couple of decades ago. We have several 24-hour news networks, a station devoted entirely to food, a dozen or more stations with 24-hour sports, another focused on cartoons, even one entirely with soap operas.

One of the things that has become popular in recent years is a show called Antiques Roadshow. It has taught people that there are many things out there with a long history, they can be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and with care these antiques may last for a long time as collectibles. Taking care of these antiques properly is very important. After all, nobody would put a several thousand dollar baseball card in the spokes of their child’s bicycle tire. Why would you ruin perfectly good, expensive antiques that have been around for years or even generations? Some easy tips to keep antiques looking nice are to dust frequently with a soft cloth, polish with orange or lemon oils, and use steps to preserve it.

Since antiques are by definition old, they are often more delicate than most pieces of furniture or other household decorations. Because of this, most chemicals or in many cases even water is not recommended. The easiest alternative is to dust your antiques frequently with a soft and clean cloth. Spending a few minutes per day dusting an antique will keep you from having to use rougher cleaning methods.

Occasionally use a bit of lemon oil on wood antiques to keep it from drying out. Wood looks best right after it is oiled. You can do this with any just about any wood. Just dampen the rag or paper towel with the oil and apply that to all wood surfaces. Do this every month or so and wood will look new and the lemon or orange has the added benefit of making the house smell clean.

The hardest part about keeping antiques looking nice is preserving it. They are probably starting to wear out and fade and it may be tempting to refinish them. In reality the best thing to do is do what museums do. Keep antiques out of direct sunlight, be sure to wipe up spills immediately, and keep the temperature and humidity in the house as consistent as possible. And do not refinish them if you plan to sell an antique. Generally an imperfect antique is worth more money than one that was refinished. Leave the little blemishes, it gives the item character, a history.

Antiques make wonderful collectibles. Like all collectibles they need to be treated well to keep their value and to look good for years to come. Be gentler with them by dusting with just a soft cloth. Use oils like Old English on wood rather than polishes. And sure to preserve antiques as much as possible. That way they will look great for future generations or will hold their value if you ever need to sell them.