Arts & Antiques with Dr. Lori: Cleaning tips for your collections
Spring cleaning has its drawbacks and its advantages. The drawbacks are many as no one really enjoys house cleaning all that much. But, once the house is clean, there are some obvious advantages like the discovery of more space, finding long lost items and quick cash in the form of online sales of that unwanted stuff.
For art and antique collectors, spring cleaning offers a great opportunity to review the condition of art, collectibles and vintage objects. Deciding to repurpose items can result from a good cleaning spree, too. Identifying what to keep and what to sell can be the benefit of spring cleaning and so can making new display areas within your home.
Here are some tips when it comes to spring cleaning your art and antiques: Don’t be too hasty to clean oil on canvas paintings. On my video call appraisals, I can’t tell you the vast number of collectors who want to clean their antique and vintage oil paintings. Many paintings don’t need to be cleaned. Paintings will darken over time, but cleaning paintings may not be the solution. For instance, if a painting only has minor evidence of surface dirt or dust and it has no evidence of yellowing varnish, leave the painting alone.
Never clean a painting using soap and water, an early 1900s technique, because this process will dry out the pigment and the canvas. It will lead to pigment flaking and serious damage over time. If you still want to clean a painting, contact a professional art restoration service.
Don’t be overzealous when cleaning sterling silver pieces like tea sets, trays, water pitchers, picture frames and candlesticks. This goes for silver-plated items, too. When cleaning silver or silver plate, you are basically rubbing off a layer of the metal’s sheen. So, don’t polish your silver too often. Try to polish sterling silver and silver plate items no more than twice a year, that is every six months. Use appropriate white cotton cloths and recommended silver or silver plate polish. They are different so don’t use silver polish to polish silver plate and vice versa. Be gentle when polishing silver plate so you don’t rub the silver off to the point where the under metal — usually copper — is showing through the silver plating. Flatware of sterling silver should be placed in a protective storage box when not in use.
Crystal and glass items require special care when cleaning. Crystal is supposed to be very clear and attractive when compared to glass items.
For cloudy glass vases or bowls, use equal parts of white vinegar and distilled water and wash the crystal or glass object very gently. Try to avoid using any harsh chemicals or cleaning agents on any of your antique items. Do not submerge any glass or crystal item into standing water that is too cold or too hot as this “shock to the system” may result in cracking your antique or vintage glass or crystal item upon impact. Be sure to keep vintage and antique glass items away from other items that may damage them and never put them in the dishwasher.
The tools that you use during spring cleaning of your art or antiques are just as important as the cleaning supplies and techniques. Cloths that do not leave textile or cotton residue behind are the desirable cleaning choice when it comes to antiques and art. Q-tips or cotton swabs can be very helpful to get into those tight places.
And, don’t forget to do your spring cleaning of fragile collectibles while seated at a table when you are well-rested and have plenty of time for the task. Happy spring cleaning!
Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author and award-winning media personality Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events nationwide, and appears on the History Channel’s "The Curse of Oak Island" and "Pawn Stars do America." Visit www.DrLoriV.com, watch her Real Bargains show on www.YouTube.com/DrLoriV or call (888) 431-1010.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Dr. Lori: Cleaning tips for your collections
