Top Ten Tips for the week of May 15, 2011

Many of you have expressed that you enjoy the tips and hints that I post on Face Book and Twitter, but that you would enjoy them more if I put them on the blog. Therefore, beginning this week, I will be putting them in weekly blog articles as the "Top Ten Tips of the Week." I realize that you would prefer all of the tips at one time, however, as there are about 20 pages of them, I have opted to put them into weekly articles. They will be here in the archives, should you ever need to refer to them. Happy reading and I hope you find these tips and hints of some value.

1. Many antique and vintage items can be damaged by the oil on your finger tips. Always keep a pair of clean cotton gloves handy in case you will be handling such items.

2. Do not attempt to clean coins, as cleaning makes them less desirable to collectors. Always leave them in “found” condition.

3. When washing ceramics, use only mild soap and lukewarm water. If they are damaged, repaired or have cold-painted decorations, clean only with gentle wiping with a damp cloth.

4. A simple brass polish may be made by mixing equal parts of salt, flour and vinegar. Rub the mixture on with a soft cloth, rinse completely and shine with a clean, dry, soft cloth.

5. Glazed figurines and ceramic lamps can be cleaned by spraying them with glass cleaner, and wiping dry with lint-less cloth towels.

6. When storing vintage plastic items, keep them away from heat, and do not allow them to touch one another.

7. Silver, silver plate and ceramics should never be wrapped in bubble wrap when being stored. Heat and humidity can damage items stored this way.

8. An easy way to clean a lot of small glass and china pieces, is to place them on a towel in your sink, and spray them all thoroughly with glass cleaner. Then place them on another towel to air dry.

9. If you have lamps or other items on a wooden tabletop, be sure to rearrange them from time to time. This will prevent light and dark spots from appearing on the wood. This happens when the exposed areas lighten with time, while the covered areas remain dark.

10. Use wig bleach (found at many beauty supply stores) to clean ironstone and porous pottery.