DIY- Wooden Furniture Care

We all love to decorate our homes with wooden furniture. Wood furniture is preferred for its beauty, strength and durability. However, if proper care is not taken of these furniture then they lose their sheen and also develop cracks that shorten their life. Here are certain tips for maintaining your wooden furniture.

General Cleaning and Caring

• The first and foremost enemy of wood is the changes in relative humidity. Try to keep your home's temperature between 70 - 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Relative humidity should be maintained at 50-55%.
• Use humidifier or de-humidifier as per the surrounding atmosphere to keep the air in the room from becoming too dry or too damp.
• Dust regularly. That's the key to long life of any furniture – hardwood or softwood furniture
• Don't use wet cloths or mops- they stain and damage the wood.
• Use soft cloth or a vacuum cleaner having dust brush attachment. A clean cloth made of soft, lint-free cotton is the best choice. You can also use an old T- shirt, diaper, cheesecloth, dish towel, piece of flannel, or chamois but ensure they don't have any snaps, buttons, zippers or thick seams that may scratch furniture surfaces.
• Use coasters, place mats or other protective items when keeping something on top of wooden furniture.
• Don't keep hot objects directly onto the wooden table or other furniture.
• Solvents such as nail polish remover, alcohol and paint thinner should be kept away from wood furniture as they can harm their finish. Colognes, perfumes and medications, wine, beer and liquor all of them contain alcohol.
• Don't leave plastic objects lying on wooden surfaces as the color from plastic items like tablecloths, wrappers, plastic toys and games can leach into wood over time.
• Protect your wood furniture from too much exposure to sunlight, heat, cold or excessively damp or dry environments. Use curtains on windows to protect furniture from sunlight.

Identifying Finishes of Wooden Furniture
The finish on wooden furniture decides what type of care and maintenance it requires. If purchasing new furniture, ask the furniture dealer about its finish otherwise test yourself whether your furniture has soft (oiled) finishes or hard finishes like oil varnish or polyurethane. For testing follow the tips below.

• Rub some drops of boiled linseed oil into the wood. If the oil is absorbed by the wood, the furniture has an oil finish but if it beads up, the wood has a hard finish.
• Rub acetone over an inconspicuous spot of your furniture in a gentle, circular motion. If it has a polyurethane finish, it will shed acetone like water but if it has lacquer then acetone will dissolve in 30 seconds when rubbed. However, varnishes and shellacs will turn it to a sticky, gel-like substance after a couple of minutes.
• Pour a few drops of denatured alcohol on the furniture. Shellac will dissolve quickly while varnish will react slowly.

Polishing and Waxing Wooden Furniture

 

• Always select the correct cleaner and polish according to the type of your furniture's finish.
• Use polishes specifically manufactured for wooden surfaces.
• Don't mix different types of polishes.
• Don't polish too often. It will lead to a cloudy, filmy build up on the furniture that detracts from the look and feel of wood. Polishing once or twice a year is sufficient to give extra life to your furniture.
• Paste wax provides a thick, hard, lasting finish to hardwood furniture. It also helps in delaying the formation of water rings, providing a little extra time to wipe up the moisture. Liquid wax is similar to paste wax but provides a thinner coating.
• Cleaner and polishes often contain silicone oil that gives shine and a slippery surface but they can interfere with refinishing. They can seep through cracks in the finish into the wood which can ruin the new finish later.
• Follow manufacturers' instructions when using spray or liquid polishes.
• If you have waxed your furniture but know want an oil-based polish or vice-versa, first clean the furniture with mineral spirits or a solvent-based wax remover. Do this at a place with plenty of ventilation which is also away from any heat source or sparks. Test the product at an inconspicuous spot of the furniture. When the piece is clean and dry, wax or polish. If you anyhow mix wax and oil, the finish will turn cloudy. To cure it, wipe the finish off and clean it with mineral spirits or a solvent-based wax remover. Wax or polish when the finish is dry.

 

Useful Resources

• Wood Furniture Manufacturers
• Wooden Handicrafts B2b Marketplace