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- Cleaning Crystal Collectibles
We really do not recommend cleaning crystal figurines with any glass cleaning product that contains ammonia. This includes some automobile windshield fluids (unfortunately popular among some collectors), but overtime, ammonia will cloud crystal figurines. Many household glass cleaners contain ammonia too.
So be careful when choosing and If they must be used, dilute cleaner 1/2 cup to 1 gallon water.
Recommended cleaners can be found on our CRYSTAL CARE page.
To begin, fill a sink or platic tub with water and add about a cup of glass cleaner. Buying a crystal chandelier cleaning product is recommended, especially if you have a large collection to clean and protect. If you use your sink, line the sink bottom with a towel. This prevents scratches and accidental breakage if gently dropped while rinsing. Clean one piece at a time. Take your time.
We do not recommend soaking crystal figurines for long periods of time. Never place a piece in your dishwasher. Rinse a figurine after you spray it with cleaner and turn it upside down when necessary to allow crevices to drip dry and protect glued components. Air dry crystal collectibles. Then, dry and handle crystal with cotton lint free gloves, or for large pieces, a lint free photography cloth. Most photography stores sell cleaning kits that include gloves and a blower brush, the brush is helpful on those hard to reach places on pieces. Check out our CRYSTAL CARE ! page for items available online.
Place the crystal figurines you want to clean on a layer of towels out of the way of everyone, on your kitchen counter by the sink, or on your kitchen table area. Setting a staging area, "crystal to clean", "crystal that is clean & drying" works best. Pets and small children out of the way !
If the crystal figurine has a lot of dust on it, especially in crevices, a small new make-up brush, or a new photo lens blower brush will work wonders for those hard to reach places. Blow out this dust prior to cleaning to prevent scratching. Use this brush for your crystal and glass collectibles only.
Spray the crystal really well with a crystal chandelier cleaner, or dilute 1/2 cup of Sparkle Plenty cleaner
or Sprayway glass cleaner. If using a spray cleaner, do not let the cleaner sit on the crystal for more than
2 minutes. Lukewarm water should be used to rinse the crystal collectible, gently rinsing away the cleaner. Place the piece back on the towel area away from other pieces. Allow the figurine to dry and use q-tips to blot up excess water in crevices. To properly dry, it may be necessary to invert some figurines.
Picking a crystal figurine up and bringing it out of a cabinet, or placing the crystal into the cabinet is a time when collectibles get damaged. Be careful ! Most breakage and chipping occurs when collectibles are cleaned and relocated around shelves or the cabinet. Remove one piece at a time Remember that wearing long sleeves will damage something. Take off bracelets, rings, watches etc. to clean or relocate collectibles. These items will scratch your crystal. Wear cotton gloves. No exceptions !
The extra precautions will be well worth the protection of your collection.
Concentrate on one shelve. Get the crystal figurines all out before cleaning the shelve and place all the
crystal collectibles back on the shelve after its cleaned.
Many crystal figurines are made up of glued components. Tipping is common when reaching into cabinets and has a domino effect. Remove or relocate front items when reaching to the back.
We recommend keeping your crystal in a dust-proof display showcase. If your collection is substantial, investing in a display cabinet is recommended to protect and to showcase your collection with beauty and lasting appreciation. Check out our DISPLAY ! page for our favorite links to famous maker cabinets.
Candleholders need special care if wax has accumulated. Always use high paraffin specialty candles for your collectible candleholders if you use them even just once. Paraffin candle wax easily lifts off crystal.
Less expensive candles tend to run and wax residue becomes hard and will not remove easily.
If your candleholder does not contain a metal holder a quick 15-20 second microwave will soften hard wax.
Then spray and rinse the candleholder concentrating on areas where wax was present to remove residue.
We recommend keeping crystal away from constant direct sunlight. Constant sunlight will dry out the glue and component pieces may separate. Draw blinds or drapes if sunlight will be directed at your collection for more than 20 minutes during the heat of a summer day or in a warm climate. Additionally, any source of heat can defect the glue and cause components to separate, this includes heating sources in your home.
- Additional Tips
- When cleaning collectibles, be very careful. Do not use feather dusters.
- Do not allow anyone other then yourself to clean your collectibles.
- Never wipe dust off of fine crystal with a cloth or paper towel, it can cause scratches. Just wash and rinse the piece as descibed above.
- Always wash collectibles with lukewarm water. Be sure to wash the soap off thoroughly to prevent a dull film from being left behind.
- Never put fine crystal or collectibles in a dishwasher. Even stemware from a collection can produce chips or heat related fading/clouding of crystal. This includes glasses, serving utensils or vases.
CLEANING CRYSTAL
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Items to Safely Clean & Handle Collectibles
