Whether it's for their sentimental, aesthetic, or monetary value, or simply out of a love of pure craftsmanship, getting your antiques looking back to their best is well worth the effort – and may be more achievable than you think.
In partnership with Cirencester-based industry specialist, Restorate, SoGlos lists eight of the best ways to restore and maintain your antiques at home, with the correct knowhow and specialised, easy-to-use products.
Clean with care
Cleaning your antiques is a key part of their maintenance or restoration, removing dust and built-up grime to give yourself the best platform from which to restore your finish.
Restorate advises against using alcohols and anti-bacterial sprays, along with vinegar or other acidic products, on finished wooden surfaces, as they can break down and strip off the finishes; and also recommends keeping water away from wooden surfaces in general, to avoid marking them.
It says that often, a light dust is enough before applying a wax polish; while for tackling grease or dirt that's embedded in the surface, use Vulpex Liquid Soap, diluted in water and applied with a lightly damp cloth.
To buy Vulpex Liquid Soap from Restorate, visit restorate.co.uk/collections/renaissance/products/vulpex-liquid-soap-250ml.
Use the right tools for the job – and don't sand!
One of the most important things to bear in mind when working with antiques is not to use anything too abrasive for the job, avoiding things like brillo pads and scourers – and definitely don't sand!
Restorate says this is because materials like steel wool and sandpaper can remove finishes and colour, along with patina – a desirable sign of aging that takes decades, or centuries to build up and seconds to destroy.
It recommends using soft material such as cotton cloth for cleaning and applying finishes.
To shop cloths and applicators with Restorate, visit restorate.co.uk/collections/cloths.
Restore colour and sheen with wax
For faded wooden surfaces, waxing is the best way to restore colour and sheen – and it's easy to do, with Restorate recommending a light buffing using a cotton rag for application.
Beeswaxes with turpentine are best for oiled or waxed surfaces that don’t have a high build finish; while more general white spirit-based waxes – such as Liberon Black Bison Wax or Fiddes Supreme Wax Polish – are great for maintaining shine, with tinted versions adding colour into the wood grain.
Users should be wary that clear wax polishes can leave a white residue in cracks and open wood grain, which is particularly visible on darker antiques. Restorate recommends using a medium brown-tinted wax to avoid this, also adding a touch of warmth in tone and reducing the appearance of scuffs and scratches, whilst retaining patina.
To browse Restorate's range of wax polishes, visit restorate.co.uk/collections/wood-wax-polishes.
Touch up scuffs
Reducing the appearance of superficial marks to your finished antique surfaces is easier than you might think.
Touch up pens, such as the Liberon three part set, are the best remedy for scuffs that have gone down to the wood.
With options to match a range of tones, they're easy to use, with application through individual felt tips that are sculptured to work at all angles. Restorate recommends applying a toned wax over the top of touch ups to finish.
To buy the Liberon 3 Part Touch Up Pen from Restorate, visit restorate.co.uk/products/liberon-3-part-touch-up-pen.
Get rid of woodworm
Burrowing small holes through wood that will not only affect its appearance, but also weaken its structure, when woodworm strikes, it needs to be treated before the damage can be repaired.
Signs that you have active woodworm include dust in and around the holes; and on the floor underneath your antiques. Restorate recommends filling holes with wax polish, taking a photo and if, after a period, the wax is no longer in the exact holes, then woodworm is present.
As all modern woodworm killers are water-based, apply broadly with a paintbrush to the non-visible areas of furniture; and only precisely with an artist's brush to the topside visible areas, to avoid watermarks. Once dry, apply a wax polish a shade darker than the piece.
To shop woodworm treatments from Restorate, visit restorate.co.uk/collections/woodworm-treatment.
Fill in the cracks
For missing veneer, small cracks or damaged mouldings, using a wax filler stick is a great way to restore your surfaces to their full form.
You simply remove a small chunk, warm and work in your fingers and push into the damaged area, before smoothing with a small pallet knife or plastic scraper and applying wax polish over the top.
Restorate recommends choosing a colour that is a tone darker than the piece, picking out the darkest shade of the grain to match.
To browse Restorate's range of fillers, visit restorate.co.uk/collections/fillers.
Remove stains – or learn to love them!
The difficulty of removing watermarks and stains varies depending on how they've affected the wood. White water marks are easy to burnish out with Liberon Ring Remover, which should be used on high build finishes like varnished, lacquered or French polished surfaces.
Dark water marks that have stained the wood fibres are very difficult to remove without causing irreparable damage. Restorate says that if you're desperate to remove them, you should contact an antique restorer. It has its own handy trade directory, covering multiple sectors to help you find a specialist, at restorate.co.uk/pages/trade-directory.
Dark burn marks are impossible to remove without sanding away the burnt fibres – which Restorate doesn't recommend. It says owners should try and learn to love the patina and character of such marks, as part of the piece’s history.
To buy Liberon Ring Remover from Restorate, visit restorate.co.uk/products/liberon-ring-remover-125ml.
Reattach your veneer
Veneer can become vulnerable at its edges and detach when the glue gets old. Restorate says the main thing is to keep anything that falls off, or even better, reattach it immediately using a mitre bonding kit – such as the Everbuild Mitre Fast Bonding Kit – containing a superglue and activator spray.
Use a flat, very thin tool to get glue under any loose parts, give a small spray of activator and hold down immediately, then the veneer will be bonded.
If it has come off completely, lightly cover both the joining faces with glue, get the piece in position, give a small spray of activator and press in place immediately.
To buy the Everbuild Mitre Fast Bonding Kit from Restorate, visit restorate.co.uk/products/everbuild-mitre-fast-bonding-kit.
For more advice on restoring and maintaining antiques, check out Restorate's online Knowledge Hub that's regularly updated with handy blogs and videos, at restorate.co.uk/pages/blog; or to shop for industry leading products, browse the full site at restorate.co.uk.
