How To Look After Your Wooden Furniture
If you have invested in wooden furniture, you need to know on how to prep and protect it. Here are a few tips on how to protect and maintain your rustic wood furniture from becoming damaged, stained or marked.
Dust frequently
You should dust your wooden furniture at least once a week, using something soft like a cheesecloth, to clear any build-up of dust. Contrary to belief, cleaning products for wood can actually damage wood, as it contains silicones which soak into the grain and can cause permanent damage. Using a lightly dampened cloth with water will be more beneficial on the surface.
Removing marks
If you leave hot mugs or dishes on the surface, it can create a white spot or ring. To get rid of these, gently rub non-gel toothpaste onto the wood with a soft cloth, wipe it away with a damp cloth, let it dry and then apply some furniture polish. This should get rid of those tell-tale watermark marks!
Preserving the cleanliness
The best way to protect your clean furniture is to use a good quality soft paste wax. Follow the instructions on the bottle, but leave a thin coat on for five minutes and then buff it lightly with a soft brush or cloth. Wait for 30 to 60 minutes and buff it again. The beautiful shine on your table with last for many months!
Where to place it
Furniture does not do very well in heat, so be sure to keep it away from direct sunlight and radiators. Sunlight can cause patches on the table to fade and over time, will cause it to shrink and crack. The dry heat from radiators can cause the wood to dry, shrink, warp, split and even crack.
Quick touch ups
For any small chips or scratches on the feet of the furniture, an appropriate coloured shoe polish can disguise these marks well. A matching colour felt tip marker will hide it even be better, but be careful!
You cannot feed wood
If your wooden furniture has a protective finish over it, then the wood is sealed. Wood cannot be fed, nourished or enriched with polishes or oils as they cannot penetrate through it.
Protect the finish
Wooden furniture should not be exposed to strong cleaning agents, wine, coffee or other liquids. Make sure to use matts or coasters if you put hot objects directly onto the surface.