Cleaning and Caring for Your Wood Furniture
During the damp winter months, make sure that your furniture is kept in an area where there’s heat. Air conditioning can keep the wood from drying out during the summer months.
This shrinking and swelling of your furniture is what causes the doors and drawers to stick. It will also eventually cause cracks in the wood if the changes are drastic.
If wood furniture is taken care of properly, there’s really little maintenance except for the occasional dusting. But, things happen and especially if you have children, your wood furniture will need cleaning from time to time.
Any spills should always be cleaned up immediately to keep the wood from absorbing the liquids. The correct way to clean liquids from wood is by blotting. Never rub the liquid, just dab it up with a soft clean cloth.
Dusting should always be done in the direction of the woods grain. For best results use small oval motions. And, contrary to what most of us think, feather dusters aren’t good for dusting wood surfaces! The best way to dust is with soft, clean rags.
You can’t wash the dust out of the feather duster, so you’re using a dirty one over and over. Plus, they have quills that are sometimes pretty stiff and it’s like dusting with small branches! They let dust build up by just moving it around and can scratch your furniture.
If your furniture is really dirty, dusting may not be enough. You can use a mild soap and water to remove dirt build-up. Never use a harsh detergent or cleaner and just squeeze as much water out of the rag as you can.
You don’t want to saturate the wood, the cloth should just be damp enough to loosen the dirt. When I’ve had to clean my wood furniture with soap and water, I’ve often set a fan in front the the piece to help it dry more quickly.
Waxing your wood pieces is a good way to help protect them from spills and stains. Wax will give the wood a hard finish that will help prevent a spill from soaking into the wood long enough for you to clean it up.
You can use either wax or liquid pastes, but make sure that it’s especially formulated for wood furniture. All waxes aren’t created alike and the wax that’s good for your car can actually damage your wood.
If your wood develops a cloudy finish, it’s probably because you’ve used an oil cleaner over a previously waxed surface. But, just using wax to often or incorrectly can cause it to build up and give your wood a dull surface.
Wax can be easily removed with a commercial wax remover, or you can just use mineral spirits on a soft cloth. If you use either one you’ll want to make sure that you’ve got lots of ventilation to protect you from the chemicals.
Test a portion of the wood at the back or bottom of the furniture to make sure that it’s not going to interfere with the finish. If you choose to use wax remover just follow the directions. But, if you’re using mineral spirits, just apply a small amount to the rag at a time and wipe.
For extra protection you can purchase the little felt protectors and attach them to items that you want to sit on the furniture. They’re very inexpensive and you just peel the paper backing off and press them into place.
Plastic and rubber are two materials that you should never let sit on the wood for long periods. Both materials contain chemicals that can have a reaction with the woods finish and leave spots or even cause it to deteriorate!
Source:
http://www.leistersfurniture.com/furnitureCare.aspx
http://www.hardwoodinfo.com/display_article.asp?subID=26
