I feel that having these artifacts interpreted in spaces in their original context helps modern audiences understand better how each and every object was used and why it was created originally, either as a luxury or a utilitarian good.

My favorite house to clean is the Crowninshield-Bentley House. In particular, I love the old kitchen in the rear of the home. Being a “very good eater” from childhood and a want-to-be decent bread baker, I have always been drawn to kitchens with their savory aromas and specialty appliances and tools. For instance, in Crowninshield-Bentley, there is a long-handled, surprisingly heavy waffle iron that dates back to circa 1720 — I didn't even know that waffles had been around that long (apparently the first waffle was invented in medieval times and has a long and interesting evolution from wafers that trace their ancestry back to the ancient Greeks). Ours has a cross design with the letters IHS emblazoned in the center that stamped every waffle with the ancestral crest.

I just picture these concoctions being served on the pewter plates that grace the pine table in the center of the room. Near the waffle iron hangs an iron and wood coffee mill with a wooden handle and an iron cone and gears that would not look out of place in a farm-to-table restaurant. I can only imagine it would grind coffee to absolute perfection, if given the chance. Apparently, the past owners loved their breakfasts — and who can blame them? While dusting away, I love that these objects give important insights not only into the families that lived there and their tastes and comforts, but also hint at human ingenuity and evolving tastes as trade and agriculture developed in the new world and across the globe.

There is also the added bonus that historic properties cannot, and should not, be cleaned to the same white-glove standard that we practice in our own homes. Every interaction with an object heightens the risk of its destruction either due to inherent vice (whereby an object will fall apart or disintegrate because of the materials used or how it was made originally), accidental bumpage, or, the greatest of any collection worker’s fears, droppage. Additionally, even standard cleaning motions and products can wear away an object’s surface after hundreds of years and repeated cleanings. For this reason, routine housekeeping today is performed only when necessary and is as noninvasive as possible.