Cleaning/Caring For Wood Furniture

Editor: bjennings

Wood furniture is some of the most beautiful in style and craft. To help maintain and preserve its beauty, here are some tips for cleaning and care.

Introduction

For many, there is nothing more distinguished than a house filled with pristine wood furniture. Maintaining this furniture may seem difficult, but following a few simple rules, keeping the elegance of your furniture long after its buy date is easy.

Determining Finish

When cleaning/caring for wood furniture, remember that it is the wood finish that you are cleaning, not the wood itself, so it’s crucial to know the type of finish each piece has. These finishes can be either hard finishes or soft oil finishes, varying within these categories from clear finishes, lacquer, opaque painted finishes, polyurethane/polyester finishes, shellac, or varnish.

If you are unsure, find an inconspicuous place on your furniture and do the following:

• Rub a few drops of boiled linseed oil into the wood. If it absorbs, the wood has an oil finish. If it beads up, the wood has a hard finish.
  
• To identify which hard finish, rub acetone over a spot in a gentle, circular motion.
  

-- Lacquer will dissolve in 30 seconds.
-- Polyurethane finishes will let acetone roll off it like it was water.
-- Shellacs turn into a sticky, gel-like substance after a minute but will quickly dissolve when denatured alcohol is applied.
-- Varnishes act similarly to shellacs, but take more time to dissolve in alcohol

Cleaning/Care

For all finishes, make sure to dust at least twice a week with a lint-free absorbent cloth. This will help protect the finish from soil build up. Wash your furniture once or twice a year with mild soap and water. Use a damp, soft, cloth wrung dry, and take your time, working over small areas. Rinse with a soap-free damp cloth and then dry immediately with another lint-free cloth.

Furthermore, protect all wooden furniture from sun exposure. Direct sunlight dries out wood and bleaches out the color. Use a humidifier or dehumidifier to keep balance in the air around furniture, as both extremes – too much moisture or too little – can warp the wood. At the same time, keep the furniture away from all air vents. Do not let water stand on the wood surfaces, either.

For all items placed on wood tabletops, use cloth of some kind – felt preferably – to protect from scratching. For glasses, use coasters to protect from watermarks.

If the furniture is dry or dirty, you’ll need to use a damp cloth with a cleanser in order to remove the build-up. Do not do this with painted surfaces. Combine 3 parts gum turpentine with 1 part boiled linseed oil, covering it firmly and shaking well. Be careful, this cleanser is flammable and poisonous, so keep somewhere safe and away from children if you choose to store some of the mixture.

Before applying this cleanser to the wood surface, spread a layer of newspapers around and underneath the piece. Make sure the room is well ventilated. Fill up a small container with hot water and, after shaking the cleanser, pour cleanser into hot water container, pouring only enough to cover the surface of the water. Let it stand as is. Do not mix.

During application, dip rag into mixture and wring out thoroughly. Rub the mixture into the wood in small patches, taking your time and overlapping. Be careful around joints as the glue may soften. Use a toothbrush dipped lightly in mixture to clean grooves. When finished, wipe the surface with a damp cloth followed by a dry, lint-free cloth. To dispose of the excess water-cleanser mixture throw in the garbage, do not pour down a drain.

Categories: Furniture | Cleaning