Written by Diyana J / 3rd September 2021.
Solid wood furniture is known for its high resale value and impeccable wood grain, of which by design easily elevates any interior space. When combined with handcrafted artistry, the quality of solid wood pieces remains unmatched till this day. There is simply nothing that can replace it – so how do we go about maintaining its quality?
Here’s five useful wood maintenance tips that virtually anyone can do.
1. Avoid Water Stains & Heat Damage
On any table surface, use coasters to avoid water stains from your cold drinks or heat damage from a piping hot coffee. Yes, this also applies to hot food on the dinner table. Use a Lazy Susan to place your hot meals or even a decorative cloth. Bottom line is, exposing wood surfaces to heat or moisture will leave stains and damage the protective layer (the oil stain) in the long run.
2. Dust Away!
Airborne particles can build a filmy layer on wood surfaces that may cause scratches. Whilst seemingly harmless, finest dust can cause these thin, small scratches that can later become quite noticeable. Use a cotton t-shirt or any microfiber cloth to dust your wooden surfaces every other day to avoid this build-up of dust.
3. Avoid Environmental Damage
Heat and moisture are one of the most common causes of damage to any solid wood surface. Bearing this in mind, it’s best to place your valuable furniture pieces indoors and most importantly, away from direct sunlight. Over time, bright, direct sunlight can eat away at the protective finishing on top of any wood surfaces. Once this protective finishing is thin enough, your furniture may become more prone to any nicks and scratches.
4. Choose Mild Soap!
Check all your cleaners! Most common all-purpose cleaners that you use at home may contain acetone, which easily breaks down layers of protective finishing. Look out for labels in the ingredients list such as dimethyl ketone, 2-propane or beta ketopropane. Use a mild soap instead to remove any food or liquid stains and use a clean cloth to remove excess moisture. The faster you remove the stain, the easier it is to remove it and hopefully, there won’t be any need to resort to your all-purpose cleaners.
5. Reapply Finishing
Depending on the placement of your furniture pieces and how often you come into contact with its surfaces, you may have to reapply the finishing more often. For instance, we come into contact with surfaces most often with dining tables and study desks, compared to display cabinets or tv consoles. It’s recommended to re-apply your finishing on dining tables or study desks every 6 months or 1 year, whilst other furniture can have their re-application every two years. This also applies to perhaps coffee tables placed under windowpanes that get the most sunlight within the room. You might also want to reapply finishing if your furniture pieces look dry and dull.
There you have it; 5 useful tips to wood maintenance. As they say, prevention is better than cure so try your best to maintain your furniture pieces so that they can be passed down to the next generation, or perhaps resold at a higher value for its design and high quality.