1-antique cleaned furntiure should never be “polished’ or with commercial cleaning products or polished .instead ,use a soft cloth sprayed with some glass cleaner
2-To remove stains from stoneware dishes soak them for 24 hiurs or more in one gallon of hot water in which two denture cleaner tablets have been dissolved
3-never use furntiure oil such as lemon oil on antiques furntiure just wipe it with a damp cloth or use only clear paste wax “minwax or beeswax”to keep the wood in good condition
4-To prevent mildew damage to old photographs and art work hung on damp or outside walls ,tape or glue a sheet of plastic to the back to create a vapor barrier
5-use only white glue to adhere broken pieces of porcelain, stoneware ,or pottery together after applying glue , press pieces together and shift slightly for a tight fit .wipe off excess glue from both sides with a damp cloth and let dry .use masking tape to hold pieces snuggly while drying if necessary
6-To remove minor water marks on furntiure ,use a mixture of vaseline and ashes sift 2 tablespoons of fine wood asheswith a dab of vaseline or cooking oil to form a paste using a cricular motion , work the paste into the surface with a soft cloth until the white ring vanishes.
7-Never use rust-remove on china as it can remove the glaze or protective coating of china ,also calcium ,lime or rust-remove products should not be used or gold or platinum-banded crystal becaues these itemscan stain or permanently change the color of the metal banded
8-wear cotton gloves as much as possible when handling your silver .this will prevent the oils and acids from your hands from ending up on the object. cotton gloves are very inexpensive, and can purchased at photography supply stores and some drug stores
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9-Burn marks can be taken out of furntiure with fine steel wool ,a razor blade a scalpel or craft knife .the shallow hole that results maybe filled by artists’ oil colors,mixed with linseed oil or if a glossy finish is desired ,with varnish , or mixed with turpentine it will be matt. such as epoxy resin ,or shellac mixed with powder pigment
10-dont put delicate crystal in the dishwasher as it can become”cloudy” from the heat detergent and vibration-wear of the machine .crystal also chips easily .modern china can sometimes be put in the dishwasher ,but make sure that the word “dishwasher safe” appear on the back of the china before placing it in the machine
