Cherish an Antique Day

(HIT) - Antiques, heirlooms and collectables can be found in most homes and the owner, no doubt, cherishes their rarity, condition, craftsmanship and uniqueness. On April 9, celebrate National Cherish an Antique Day, by taking an hour out of your day to care for fine antiques.

Weiman Products (www.weiman.com) offers the following tips to clean, protect and prolong the life of antique surfaces in and around your home.

Wood Antiques (tables, chairs, desks, dressers, etc.)

• If wood antiques are in direct or indirect sunlight, treat the surface with a product that contains UVX-15 sunscreen, like Weiman Furniture Wipes to prevent drying and discoloration
• To hide scratches, apply a wax crayon, shoe polish paste or touch-up pen that matches the color of the wood and buff area with clean soft cloth

Silver Antiques (jewelry, dishes, candle holders, mirrors, etc.)

• To extend tarnish protection, dust silver regularly
• To avoid tarnish build-up, use Wright’s Silver Cream or Wright’s Anti-Tarnish Silver Polish (ranked a "Consumer Reports Best Buy") when a light gold film begins to form on silver
• Discontinue cleaning silver once it looks clean and shiny, even if the cloth is blackish; there will always be a slight residue on the cloth

Copper Antiques (pots, tea kettles, jewelry, ceiling fans, ceiling tiles, door knobs, etc.)

• Copper does not rust, but it will stain and accumulate tarnish so it must be cleaned
• On heavily tarnished copper not easily cleaned by vigorous polishing, use a very fine steel wool (grade 000 or finer); though it may leave tiny scratches, they should disappear with use
• If copper remains bright and shiny over time, it is probably lacquered (lacquer is a clear coating applied to some copper items to minimize upkeep) and only requires cleaning with a damp cloth; if the piece darkens over time, it probably is not lacquered and can be polished

Brass Antiques (door knobs, cabinet hardware, musical instruments, etc.)

• Regular washing and polishing with a quality product like Wright’s Brass Polish helps protect from pitting, etching and other corrosion caused by salts and other corrosive elements
• Brass may also have a lacquered coating, so if surfaces remains bright and shiny over time, it probably only requires cleaning with a damp cloth; if the piece darkens over time, it can be polished

For additional expert surface care tips in and around the home, visit www.weiman.com/tips

Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center