How to maintain your wooden furniture
We all know the advantage of wood in the home. Aside from its aesthetic appeal, wood offers us a range of benefits. Most other materials simply can’t compete in terms of combining beauty and durability. It’s also a great insulator and is incredibly strong, since it gets its strength from the ground.
Wood is also great for the environment, if we use the right source of wood, since it removes carbon from the atmosphere as well as stores it. Wood production itself can have a low carbon footprint and a lot of it is renewable.
While we can all agree choosing wood is a good idea, we still need to know how to maintain it in the home. After all, these aren’t trees able to take care of themselves. The wood we use exists within the confines we have decided on. It’s up to us to do what we can to maintain it.
Dust, dust, dust
Dust is everywhere. But we must do all we can to keep it off wooden furniture. Dust is a health hazard and we never know what might be lurking in it. To get rid of dust, simply use a duster or dry cloth. Housekeeping experts do not recommend furniture polish with dusting.
As one expert noted in Good Housekeeping:
“Furniture polish isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. For oiling/polishing requirements for your piece it’s best to get the advice of the manufacturer. Non-polish methods work well for dusting, without the risk.”
Sunlight
We usually associate the term “sunlight and water” with good things, but for wood there’s almost nothing worse. Direct sunlight damages and cracks the wood, while water can rot it. We can take steps to prevent either from occurring.
To prevent sunlight damage, simply keep it out the sun. This might sound obvious but it’s not, especially when we consider the sun’s differing location at various times of the year.
…and water
Water is also unpredictable, since anyone could carry water close to wood and sometimes we don’t realise the illusion of it being a cleaning agent. That is, while it might seem obvious to use water, we should really do what we can to keep it off. Water stains are a known issue for wood, though there are measures to prevent long-term damage if we act quickly.
Remove stubborn stains
No one likes to see their furniture stained, whether it’s our sofas or wooden garden furniture. While many other materials can simply be washed in a machine, wood requires more effort. For example, to get rid of particularly tough stains make a paste of one tablespoon baking soda and one teaspoon water. Then rub the spot in a circular motion until it disappears.
Everyone loves wood and it makes for excellent furniture. However, it also means more active maintenance and attention.