Products Care

Antique Wood Furniture

The main causes of damage to wooden furniture are careless handling and environmental conditions. The best way to care for furniture is simply to maintain a stable environment.  Some commercially available products actually do more harm than good because they change over time and react with the finish.  Every once in awhile, we use a damp cloth to wipe and polish our wood furniture with Orange Glo, protecting the wood from harmful environment changes.

Reproduction Wood Furniture

Caring for reproduced wood is similar to caring for antique wood.  Always use a damp soft cloth to polish the wood, never use paper or any harsh abrasive.  Use a wood care solution to clean all surfaces of the furniture. Apply polish to maintain the same glow and color for as long as possible. We apply a light wax-the same color as the finish-and buff the finish with a soft cloth for a long-lasting finish.

Porcelain

Cleaning porcelain should be handled with care and patience.  Pottery should never be handled roughly, and should be cleaned with a damp cloth to avoid scratching the shiny surface. Porcelain can be safely cleaned with mild soap and warm water.  Terracotta should be cleaned with a minimum amount of water and dried immediately. Gentle dusting may be the best way to keep terracotta clean.

Stones

Stones can be washed with mild soap and warm water. Be sure to rinse thoroughly after cleaning and always use a soft cloth to dry. As hard as the stones look, they are still old and deteriorating, so it is important to not leave the stones soaking for too long after cleaning.

Scrolls and Paintings

Properly cleaning the surface or repairing damage and deterioration on a painting is a job best left to a professional conservator. The conservation procedures can be complex and potentially damaging, depending on the particular materials and condition of a painting. Although a cleaning may be put off indefinitely, tears in a canvas painting should be dealt with relatively quickly; otherwise the canvas may become misaligned and it may become difficult, if not impossible, to realign the broken threads.