Sell more, to more people, more easily with this Resaler’s Guide
Ideally, the household items brought into your store are in perfect shape and ready to sell.
But we have all seen some great items that could use a little loving care to make them worth much more. With these quick cleanup tips, you can make more on slightly-marred goods. And you might even be tempted to stop at a few garage sales to see what you could salvage and sell for a pretty profit.
Wax-encrusted candlesticks? Put on a paper-towel-covered cookie sheet in a barely-warm oven, and those newly-clean candlesticks will sell the next day!
Unlaquered copper and brass items are more desirable if they shine. The no-elbow-grease cure: rub on a paste of salt, white vinegar and flour, let dry, rinse, then wash in hot sudsy water.
Tarnished silver comes clean if immersed in a basin of water, to which you add salt and baking soda and a few sheets of aluminum foil. Let it stand for an hour, then rinse with hot water and dry. Or for small spots or intricate pieces, rub in white toothpaste until the spot is gone, rinse and dry.
Buff up finishes on wood: mahogany takes equal parts white vinegar and warm water (then polish with a soft cloth), oak loves boiled linseed oil (apply with a soft cloth, then remove excess oil with a chamois), and walnut can be cleaned with a dab of kerosene rubbed in and polished with a (different!) chamois cloth. Don’t forget to work in a well-ventilated area!
Wicker cleans up with warm salt water. Rinse with fresh water and dry in the sun. Whiten yellowed wicker with a sponge dipped in lemon juice and salt. Rinse, paty with a clean cloth, and dry in the sun.
Water rings on otherwise great furniture might be helped if you rub white toothpaste in with a damp rag, working with the grain.
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 