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Tips for Cleaning and Maintenance of Furniture
Your Wooden Furniture Can Avoid Repairs and Last for Years with Just a Little Care
We’ve all got that one piece of wood furniture that holds a special place in our hearts. Perhaps it’s a chair sat on by your grandfather or a farmhouse-style dining table big enough to seat the whole family. It may be the shaker-style bedframe you fell in love with at first sight, or the bookshelves that store your antique comic books. You want to keep that thing in good shape, whatever it is. Your wooden furniture can avoid the need for repairs and look its best for years with regular maintenance and attention.
Follow these helpful wooden furniture cleaning and care methods to protect your prized possessions.
- Use soap and water to clean.
To clean your furniture, all you need is a damp towel and some mild dish soap. Rinse with a soap-free, damp towel after cleaning, and then dry with a third washcloth. Ammonia-based cleansers should be avoided since they might destroy hardwood furniture.
- After cleaning, polish the furniture.
Some of the polish will come off when you clean wooden furniture. Polishing can help restore the luster of the surface while also protecting it. Make sure you’re using a furniture polish that doesn’t have a lot of alcohol in it. Alcohol-based polishes can degrade wood surfaces.
- Make sure your furniture is clean.
Dust your furniture with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth or brush. Dusting on a regular basis helps maintain the finish from grit and dirt build-up.
- Use coasters to protect your glasses.
To avoid unattractive water rings, always use coasters with felt or cork bottoms.
- For hot dishes, use trivets.
A natural fiber tablecloth, oven mitt, or trivet can be used to protect furnishings from hot serving plates. Placing hot plates and dishes directly on a hardwood surface can leave scratches and stains that are unsightly.
- Avoid placing furniture in direct sunlight.
Furniture can be dried out by the sun, and wood surfaces might fade. The sun’s heat can melt finishes and cause difficult-to-repair cracks. This is especially so in our tropical weather!
- Keep pets away from your furnishings.
Furniture can be scratched and damaged by our pet pals. Protect wooden surfaces with a natural fiber table cloth, chair cover, or protective cushion to avoid pet damage.
- Coffeemakers should not be placed under upper cabinets.
Coffeemakers can cause the finish on wooden cabinets to deteriorate. Coffeemakers should instead be placed on kitchen islands or other open places.
I want to read even more details about this topic. Can you suggest a list of sources for further investgation?
Certainly! Here is a list of sources you can explore for further information on cleaning and maintaining wooden furniture:
Furniture Manufacturer Websites: Check the websites of reputable furniture manufacturers. They often provide care instructions and maintenance guides specific to their products. Look for the “Care and Maintenance” or “FAQs” sections on their websites.
Woodworking and DIY Blogs: Many woodworking enthusiasts and DIY bloggers share tips and tutorials on furniture care and maintenance. Some popular blogs in this niche include The Wood Whisperer (www.thewoodwhisperer.com), The Family Handyman (www.familyhandyman.com), and Woodworker’s Journal (www.woodworkersjournal.com).
Home Improvement Magazines: Magazines like This Old House, Better Homes & Gardens, and Fine Woodworking often feature articles on furniture care and maintenance. You can check their websites for relevant articles or consider subscribing to their print editions.
Online Furniture Care Guides: Websites like Furniture.com, HomeAdvisor (www.homeadvisor.com), and The Spruce (www.thespruce.com) offer comprehensive guides on furniture care and maintenance. They cover various topics related to cleaning, repairing, and preserving different types of furniture.
YouTube Tutorials: Video platforms like YouTube are a great resource for visual guides on furniture care. Channels like Woodworking for Mere Mortals, The Restoration Studio, and Woodworking Masterclasses offer tutorials on cleaning, polishing, and restoring wooden furniture.
Books on Furniture Care: There are several books available that focus on furniture care and restoration. Some recommended titles include “Understanding Wood Finishing” by Bob Flexner, “The Furniture Bible” by Christophe Pourny, and “The Complete Guide to Repairing & Restoring Furniture” by William Cook.
Remember to cross-reference information from multiple sources to ensure accuracy and consider the specific requirements of your furniture.