East Riddlesden Hall may have been closed since the end of October – but within its historic walls there’s been a buzz of activity.

Every winter, the 17th century attraction gets a spring clean in readiness for a new influx of visitors in February.

Hundreds of objects from simple candlesticks to ornately-carved beds are checked over, dusted and polished, while the ceilings, walls and floors are also given a thorough inspection and clean.

“It is a time of year when you get chance to look at the pieces and rooms properly – to really scrutinise them,” says house steward Mike Freeman, who carries out the work at the National Trust property near Keighley, alongside conservation assistant Jackie Waters.

“You can look at everything closely and check it is all in good shape for the next season.”

The hall contains around 600 items on display, including a collection of pewterware which is cleaned using a duster before a coat of Renaissance wax – a special product used in antique conservation – is applied.

“This is like a very thin candle wax which prevents the atmosphere tarnishing the metal,” says Mike, who has worked at the manor house for 25 years, and is descended from the Murgatroyd family who built it. “We do this once a year to protect the pewter.”

Dotted about the house – which was last year named the Small Visitor Attraction of the Year in the Welcome To Yorkshire White Rose Awards – the collection includes jugs, tankards and serving plates. Once cleaned and waxed, they are carefully wrapped up in acid-free tissue paper and packed into sturdy boxes. “This keeps them clean, and also ensures that we can retrieve them quickly in an emergency,” says Mike.

As part of the winter routine, a table is brought into each room and all the small items are moved on to this to allow the furniture to be cleared for cleaning.

Tea sets, pin cushions, chamber pots and candlesticks are among the many objects in the green chamber that Mike and Jackie clean and pack. Brasses such as the log bucket and kettle are protected with polish and lacquer, so are left alone.

Furniture is covered with dust sheets which are removed as Mike and Jackie tackle each room in turn.

“We polish the furniture using natural beeswax, but we don’t polish the whole piece – it is time-consuming and we realised that we didn’t need to. We select areas that need attention such as the corners of tables, upon which visitors have leaned.”

He indicates such a spot on the corner of a magnificent table in the grand, stone-flagged hall, and a careful look reveals a patch that appears duller than its surroundings.

Objects in the hall, which must be cleaned and packed, include swords, helmets and gunpowder holders.

The large Flemish tapestry dated around 1600 that hangs on one wall is cleaned professionally every ten years by National Trust conservators.

Mike discovered his ancestral link to the Murgatroyds while researching his family tree. “My mother’s maiden name was Haworth, and a member of her family married a Murgatroyd in 1715. I found out that he was descended from James Murgatroyd who bought the estate in 1638.”

He was unaware of this connection when he began work at the hall, but recalls an odd feeling as he walked through the gate. “I felt as if I was coming home,” he says.

Vacuuming drapes hanging both in windows and from beds, with a special attachment nozzle, removes dust and freshens them up. “It is a big job and we take our time,” says Mike. “It definitely makes a difference.”

Even more painstaking is the vacuuming of ceilings to remove dust and cobwebs. With decorative plasterwork, such as that in the wood-pannelled drawing room, it is vital to go very slowly and carefully.

“We use a special hogshair brush and work our way across and along the edges. We take extreme care as we don’t always know how stable it is.”

He adds: “We are lucky in that the ceilings are relatively low and we can carry out this work using step ladders. In many historic houses, scaffolding has to be erected to do this job.”

They employ the same method on wooden panelling, which lines most rooms. “We polish that every five years, checking for areas that may have been touched.”

Close attention is paid to floorboards, and a special wax applied to areas of heavy footfall. “It is a thick, gloopy wax that gives the floor a lift,” says Mike, who has made up a mixture of boot polish to a perfect colour match for the boards.

Woodworm is uncommon, but staff look out for it. “If we find it we inject the wood with a special solution,” says Mike. Every room has pest traps, to prevent moths damaging textiles. Stone floors and fireplaces are given a gentle wash.

In the kitchen, brass and copper bedpans are dusted and given a coating of wax. “These are left in situ, but we wrap them in tissue to protect them,” says Mike. The artificial hams hanging from meat hooks are taken down, dusted and wrapped in cloth.

Throughout the hall, lights are checked to see that they are in working order.

It takes at least a week to thoroughly clean one room. The house used to close for five months, shortening to three-and-a-half months seven years ago.”It has made a big difference,” says Mike, “We work hard – there is a lot to get through.”

Mike enjoys the mammoth task. “You feel you are really getting to know the house. We definitely could not do this if it was open.

He adds: “We are making sure the hall looks its best for visitors.”