How to Clean Antique Furniture Pulls

Clean antique furniture pulls gently so you don't remove the patina.

Antique furniture pulls are decorative yet functional parts of well-designed furniture. Furniture pulls can be made of simple materials like wood, ceramic or glass, but after about 1690 they were made of brass. The current trend as of 2010 is to not clean furniture hardware too much. Collectors today like furniture in as original condition as possible. Gently clean your furniture pulls without stripping the patina, the soft glow of wood or metal that is only achieved with age.

Things You'll Need

• Garage sale-type sticker dots
• 1 quart zip-type plastic bag
• Screwdriver
• 1 quart bowl
• 1 quart hot water
• 1 tsp. mild dish soap
• Soft sponge
• 4 tbsp. boiled linseed oil (you don't boil it, this is its name)
• 3 to 4 soft clean clothes

Instructions

1. Make pairs of numbered tags on small stickers. Two number ones, two number twos and so on, up to the number of pulls on your furniture. Use these to help you identify and replace the furniture pulls back in their original spot.

2. Remove the antique furniture pulls, back plate and all, with the screwdriver. Keep all screws in a zip-type plastic bag so they will not get lost. If the pulls are not removable, clean them directly on the furniture, skipping step 2 and 3. The soap water and oil will not hurt the wood.

3. Place a numbered sticker on the back of each furniture pull as you remove it and the other sticker with the same number on the spot where you just removed the pull.

4. Fill a bowl with hot water and the dish soap.

5. Dip the sponge in the soapy water and gently wash away dirt and grime from each furniture pull. The surface should feel smooth, not sticky or gritty. Dry with a soft towel after cleaning.

6. Dip a soft, clean cloth in boiled linseed oil and gently rub the furniture pull. This will give a deep clean to wood, brass and other metals without lifting the patina. Glass and ceramic parts do not need the oil treatment.

7. Rub the pulls with a soft, clean cloth until they have a soft glow.

8. Clean the screws with soap and water, then dry thoroughly. Apply the oil treatment to the head of the screw so that it will match the back plate.

9. Replace the furniture pulls, matching up the numbers and screwing the pulls back into place.

Tips & Warnings

• Clean and polish newer furniture pulls with gentle, commercial polish or a paste of lemon juice and salt for pulls made of any metal.

• Glass and ceramic will come clean with just soap and water.

• Do not use this treatment or polish on metal that has been treated with lacquer. Lacquered metal will have a "plastic" feel to it, instead of the cold, hard feel of metal.

• Test any cleaning solution on the backside of the furniture pull to make sure it is safe and will not remove the patina. Furniture should retain a soft glow (the patina), not be stripped bright and shiny.

References

• "Antiques Roadshow Primer"; Carol Prisant, 1999
• "Discovering Antiques"; Eric Knowles; 1996
• University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service
• UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences Cooperative Extension Services: How to Care for Your Furniture
• "Antiques; How to Identify, Buy, Sell Refinish and Care for Them"; Ann Kilborn Cole; 1957

Resources

• New Mexico State Cooperative Extension Service: Hazardous Household Substances
• "A-Z Guide to Cleaning, Conserving, and Repairing Antiques;" Tom Rowland and Noel Riley; 1998
• Association of Restorers
• "Restoring Antique Furniture;" Richard A. Lyons,; 2000
• "The Manual of Furniture Restoration;" V. J. Taylor; 1994