The living room will be easier to clean if you have planned it well. Plain coloured upholstery shows the dirt far sooner than heavily textured or patterned fabrics. Blended materials are easier to clean and harder wearing than all-wool fabrics. A close weave of fabric generally gives better wear than a loose weave, and loose covers that can be dry-cleaned are very practical. You could always have covers fitted on your chairs for winter and loose covers made in a different fabric for the summer to go over them. Twice as expensive initially but they will last at least twice as long -and you will not get bored with your purchases as quickly. Why not have winter and summer curtains as well? Remember to vacuum upholstery and curtains regularly.
Every now and again move your furniture around the room so that the carpet underneath does not get heavily indented or use castors on the legs of very heavy pieces. Always get help moving furniture: it may either do damage to your back or, if the item is an antique, harm the item.
Light and heat
The sun is a very strong bleaching agent. Do not leave any wooden or upholstered pieces of furniture, photographs or paintings in bright sunlight for too long or colours will fade (or darken): the sun will make dark wood lighter and light wood darker. Draw the curtains on sunny days or use roller blinds to diffuse the light.
Keep wooden furniture, especially antiques, away from radiators or other direct heat sources. Use a humidifier or stand saucers of water under each piece of furniture or hang special water containers over the radiators. Heat will cause wood to dry out, and perhaps to crack and shrink. This is almost inevitable in a centrally heated house, but you can minimize the damage.
Hall and stairs
It is very important to keep the hall and stairs clean because this is where dirt first enters the house. An extra large doormat which can regularly be taken outside and shaken is essential. Even better is the Eastern idea of leaving your shoes by the front door.
To clean the hall thoroughly, start by removing any exposed obstacles – coats, hats, bicycles, prams, etc. Then work from the topmost landing down towards the hall, brushing or vacuuming the stair carpet – a cylinder vacuum cleaner is ideal for this task – and sweeping and polishing the stair edges and banisters. Once on the ground floor, replace everything. Finish by cleaning the telephone with white spirit.
Furniture
Most antique furniture only needs to be dusted, so use a clean duster often and pick up the dust, rather than just pushing it around. Never use modern furniture cream or furniture polish on antique furniture. For very occasional use rub in a small amount of beeswax, building up the shine by buffing with a soft cloth and plenty of ‘elbow grease’.
Be careful of any area that is cracked or where bits of veneer or moulding are lifting or dropping off; even a duster with a loose thread can cause considerable damage. If antiques are damaged, get them professionally repaired as soon as possible.
