The furniture conservators that I know like to use Antique Wax. After
it is buffed out it should form a coherent coating plane on the
surface of the wood - you may need to use q-tips in any detail work or
crevices.

Yes this will capture dust but it keeps the dust on the wax coating
and not on the wood. Frequent monitoring and dusting with a soft
natural bristle brush towards the nozzle of a vacuuam should work
fine. Never dust an historic or art object with a rag or cloth as dust
can be highly abrasive to soft surfaces.

Instead of windex, which has amonia, I'd recommend using an alcohol
such as ethanol or isopropyl diluted in distilled water, about 50%,
for cleaning historic glass and mirrors.

Finally, don't even think of using oil on historic wood surfaces.
Organic oils will crosslink over time and darken and virtually
intractable to remove later on.

Cheers!
Dave

David Harvey
Conservator
Los Angeles, California

On 2/28/06, unlisted <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> never use any commercial product that contains silicone.
> a good paste wax like 'butcher's wax' will actually keep dust off.
> windex is fine on old glass.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Britton, Kathleen" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 10:14 AM
> Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Cleaning mirrors
>
>
> We have a Victorian wood frame mirror that w
>  good morning all -
>
> We have a Victorian wood frame mirror that will be used as part of an
> upcoming exhibit. Before we install it, however, we'd like to make sure
> that the wood and glass are clean and presentable. I'm wondering what
> might be safe to use. We're hesitant to use paste wax or something like
> Pledge on the wood for fear that it might attract new dust.  Also, is
> something like Windex OK to use on old glass or should I use vinegar and
> water? Any suggestions would be welcome!
>
> Many thanks -
> Kathleen
>
>
> Kathleen Emerson Britton
> Curator of Collections and Education
> ViaHealth Archives Consortium
> 333 Humboldt Street
> Rochester, NY 14610
> 585/922-1847
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
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