How To Clean And Care For Your Figurines, Art Glass, Pottery & Other Collectibles

Delicate collectible items such as art glass, pottery and figurines require a certain amount of care in order to keep them in pristine condition. Thankfully that's not hard to do with the right knowledge. We offer these helpful tips to help you preserve the value of your prized collectibles.

With a porcelain figurine such as a Giuseppe Armani figurine or a Lladro figurine for example, there are several simple and effective ways to do this. We are pleased to offer these helpful tips on cleaning and caring for your fine collectible figurines, art glass and art pottery.

It's best to keep figurines and art pottery out of direct sunlight. Exposure to direct sunlight over an extended period of time can fade the coloring of the figurine.

To clean dust off of your collectibles use a soft bristled brush. A small artist's paint brush or a makeup brush are good choices. Another occasionally helpful method is to use a can of compressed air.

To minimize exposure to dust it's a good idea to store your collectibles in an enclosed curio cabinet or china cabinet. If you don't have room for your entire collection you should store your rarest and most expensive items in the cabinet. This of course has the added benefit of keeping your precious collectibles away from children, pets and clumsy visitors!

For a dirty figurine with stubborn stains the best way to clean it is in the sink with warm water and a mild dishwashing detergent or soap in conjunction with a soft cloth or paintbrush. Under no circumstances should you use anything abrasive and definitely do not use a strong cleaner such as bleach or any cleaner containing ammonia. These are almost certain to damage the figurine. If the figurine has an air hole you'll want to tape over it to prevent water from getting inside. If water is allowed to enter the figurine it could possibly cause structural damage over time as certain types of ceramic are porous, even after the firing process.

Before cleaning a figurine in your sink it's a very good idea to lay one or two thick bath towels in the bottom of the sink. This is a great way to protect against breakage if the figurine slips from your hands during the cleaning process.

Avoid submerging a porcelain figurine in water for more than just a few seconds. Also make sure that you never put a figurine in a dishwasher. A porcelain figurine is much more delicate than china dinnerware and a dishwasher is almost certain to cause permanent damage to it.

Art glass such as Orient and Flume paperweights and vases and crystal figurines such as those made by Swarovski Crystal are much easier to care for compared to porcelain figurines. A mild glass cleaner and a soft cloth is all you need to keep them in beautiful condition. Careful cleaning of your collectible crystal figurines will make them a lasting part of your collection.

Art pottery such as Ephraim Faience and Roseville should be cleaned with warm water and a soft cloth only. No abrasives or strong cleaners should ever be used.

We truly hope these tips prove helpful and we thank you for visiting our site!

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