Care Guide: How to Maintain Heritage Materials

Owner's Manual

Heritage materials reward steady, gentle care. This guide covers every category in our catalog, with the routines that keep each piece settled and visible for the long haul. For deeper background on reclaimed pine, antique buffalo leather, and maritime salvage, see our material guides linked at the end.

The 60-second routine

Skip the deep dive if you want. The five habits below keep almost everything in the collection in good shape:

Reclaimed pine and reclaimed wood furniture

Most of our reclaimed wood pieces (pine, oak, elm) are hand-finished with wax or oil rather than a sealed polyurethane. The surface is meant to breathe and to be renewable.

Daily and weekly: dust with a soft dry cloth or a microfiber. Avoid feather dusters, which redistribute rather than capture dust.

For spills and surface cleaning: use a barely damp cloth, wipe in the direction of the grain, and dry the surface immediately. Water sitting on the finish will leave a mark over time.

Avoid:

• Harsh cleaners, including ammonia and bleach
• Furniture polishes and silicone sprays (they sit on top of the wax and dull the surface)
• Glass cleaners on wood
• Direct sun for hours each day (causes uneven fading)
• Placement against a radiator or hot air register (causes drying and surface checks)

Annual maintenance: on waxed pieces, re-wax once a year with a clear furniture wax. Apply with a soft cloth in thin layers, let it dry, and buff. On oiled pieces, a light coat of furniture oil (lemon oil, mineral oil, or a wood-specific oil) once or twice a year keeps the finish supple.

If the finish marks up: a fresh coat of wax or oil restores most light surface marks. Deeper scratches can be lightly sanded with very fine grit and re-finished. Reclaimed pieces tolerate this gracefully. You cannot do the same with a factory polyurethane finish.

Bleached elm and lighter wood finishes

Bleached elm, washed pine, and antique white finishes are more sensitive to staining than darker waxed surfaces. Wipe spills immediately, especially anything pigmented (wine, coffee, hair product). Use a slightly damp cloth, blot rather than rub, and dry the area fully. For dried-on stains, a soft cloth with a mild dish-soap solution lifts most surface deposits.

Antique buffalo leather

Antique buffalo leather is vegetable-tanned, full-grain, and finished to preserve its natural variation. The hide carries its own oils; we do not recommend conditioner on it.

Daily: wipe down with a clean dry cloth when needed. The hide will redistribute its own oils with use.

For light cleaning: a barely damp cloth, then dry immediately.

For deeper cleaning: a damp cloth with a tiny amount of mild soap, wiped off with a damp cloth, then dried. Avoid soaking.

Avoid:

• Leather conditioners and creams (they interfere with the natural patination and can leave residue)
• Silicone-based products
• Direct sun for extended periods
• Placement against radiators or vents

If it dries out over years: in very dry climates, a small amount of pure neatsfoot oil applied sparingly to a test area can restore suppleness. Most pieces in normal indoor humidity never need it.

Stone vanity tops (marble, granite, bluestone)

Solid-stone vanity tops handle bathroom service well, but they need light routine care.

Daily: wipe the surface with a soft damp cloth.

For spills: wipe immediately, especially anything acidic. Acids etch stone:

• Citrus (lemon, orange, grapefruit)
• Vinegar (in cleaning products and food)
• Hair product residues
• Perfume and cologne
• Toothpaste with whitening agents
• Wine

Cleaning: mild soap and water on a soft cloth. Rinse with clean water and dry.

Avoid: abrasive scrubbers, bleach, ammonia, vinegar-based cleaners, "all-purpose" sprays that contain acid, and powdered cleansers.

Annual maintenance: seal the stone every six to twelve months with a quality stone sealer. Test in a hidden area first. Follow the sealer's instructions for cure time before getting the surface wet.

Linen upholstery

Our linen upholstery is woven, gently structured, and breathable. It is more delicate than performance fabric but rewards careful use.

Routine: vacuum every two to four weeks with an upholstery attachment, brushing in the direction of the weave.

For spills: blot immediately with a clean white cloth (colored cloths can transfer dye). Do not rub. Apply a tiny amount of distilled water and continue blotting.

For set stains: a cushion with a removable slipcover can be spot-cleaned at home or professionally cleaned. Fixed-upholstery pieces typically need a professional fabric cleaner.

Avoid: placing linen seating in direct sun for hours (fading is uneven), and harsh detergents.

Velvet upholstery

Velvet shows pile direction and footprints. That is part of how it looks.

Routine: a soft brush with the pile every two to four weeks settles the surface.

For spills: blot quickly with a clean cloth, working from the outside of the spill inward.

For routine refresh: a steamer held a few inches above the surface, moving steadily, can revive crushed pile. Do not let water bead on the surface.

Cane and woven seats

Hand-woven seats (cane, rush, woven natural fiber) need light hydration to stay flexible.

Routine: dust with a soft brush or a dry cloth.

If a seat starts to dry out or droop: a wrung-out damp cloth wiped across the underside and top once or twice a year keeps the fibers supple. The seat will tighten as it dries.

Avoid: sitting on a damp woven seat. Allow it to dry completely before use.

Solid brass and aged metals

Most of our brass, copper, and aluminum pieces are left unlacquered or softly patinated. They are meant to age.

Routine: a soft dry cloth removes dust.

If you want to preserve the existing patina: avoid metal polish and avoid abrasive cloths. Dust and a barely damp cloth are enough.

If you want to brighten the surface: a small amount of brass polish on a soft cloth, applied gently in the direction of the original finish, restores shine. Note that polishing removes the patina; once removed, it takes years to come back.

Avoid: harsh metal cleaners, abrasive scrubbers, and acidic cleaners on plated finishes (some pieces have a brass finish over another metal; aggressive polishing wears through).

Glass and porthole mirrors

Standard glass cleaner on a microfiber cloth keeps mirrors and glass surfaces clear. For salvaged porthole mirrors, clean the glass with glass cleaner but use only a dry or barely damp cloth on the surrounding brass frame, so cleaner does not pool against the metal.

Turkish patchwork and vintage rugs

Each rug in our collection is one of a kind, hand-stitched from salvaged wool or selected from working estate inventories. Care depends on the rug's age and construction, but the general routine applies:

Routine: vacuum weekly without the beater bar (use the suction-only setting or an upholstery attachment). For fringe, vacuum the rug body and dust the fringe by hand.

For spills: blot immediately with a clean white cloth. Avoid rubbing. For larger spills, blot and then apply a small amount of cold water, blot again, and let air-dry.

Rotation: rotate the rug 180 degrees every six to twelve months to even out sun exposure and foot-traffic patterns.

Deep cleaning: hand-stitched vintage rugs should be professionally cleaned by a rug specialist (not a general carpet cleaner) when they need it.

Ceramic, porcelain, and pottery

Our decorative ceramics include hand-thrown vases, porcelain pots, and antique pieces with their own surface marks.

Routine: dust with a soft cloth. For deeper cleaning, a barely damp cloth and mild soap.

For antique pieces: avoid soaking and avoid the dishwasher. Hand-clean only. Avoid stacking pieces against each other where surfaces can grind.

Hand-painted and aged finishes

Distressed paint finishes, Gustavian green, antique white, and similar hand-applied finishes are part of the piece's character. Surface variation, exposed underlayers in worn spots, and tonal shifts are intended.

Routine: dust with a soft dry cloth.

For surface cleaning: a barely damp cloth on stable areas. Avoid scrubbing distressed areas, where the paint is meant to read as worn.

If touch-up is needed: custom paint matching is difficult on antique finishes. We do not recommend amateur touch-up; if a piece is damaged, contact us first.

What to do if a piece arrives damaged

Inspect the piece on delivery. If you find damage, contact us within 48 hours of delivery with photographs at hello@emmagracehome.com. Once we verify the claim, we arrange repair, replacement, or resolution at no cost to you.

What is not a defect

Per our return policy, natural variations in color, grain, texture, and patina of reclaimed and handcrafted materials are expected and are not considered defects. These include knots, nail holes, surface markings on wood, scars and tonal shifts on leather, hand-applied finish variation, and surface aging on metal. Each piece is meant to be its own.