Wood Furniture Care and Maintenance Guide

Aug 7, 2019

Wood furniture care and maintenance usually include dusting, cleaning, polishing, or waxing to allow your furniture to last long and look its best. A good piece of wooden furniture adds beauty and elevates the visual quality of your home or office. Good news is that natural wood doesn’t need much maintenance. However, the better you treat your wood furniture, resin wood, and live edge tables, the longer they will last. The most important furniture care protection tip is that you should dust and shine your wood furniture regularly. However, if you wonder how should you exactly do it, what are the best methods of furniture care, and how can you keep different types of wood look their best for years to come, read our expert tips. Bear in mind that wood care and maintenance will most often depend on the finish of the piece. To avoid damaging the finish and stop a dark film on your precious pieces from building up, simply follow our furniture care and maintenance steps. Here are the daily and periodical, deep cleaning wood furniture care and maintenance tips you’ve been looking for.

Natural Wood Furniture Care and Maintenance Guidelines

Dusting, cleaning, applying paste wax, and occasional deep cleaning are all the necessary steps in wood furniture care protection you need to be aware of. If you’ve just purchased a new piece of furniture, it’s best to ask for specific care and cleaning guidelines. Natural Wood Furniture Care and Maintenance

How to Dust Furniture Properly

Dusting your wood furniture is the first step in furniture care that you shouldn’t skip. Airborne deposits build up in a filmy layer on your wood pieces and can scratch their surface. Frequent dusting will remove these airborne deposits and stop filmy layers of dust to build up. When dusting, you can use various tools. Treated cloths, classic feather dusters, soft, lint-free cloths, terry towels, and lamb’s wool dusters are all great for dusting wooden furniture. The most important is they are clean and soft. They will easily and effectively remove dust. However, dust may scatter into the air and dry cloth can cause dust to make microscopic scratches on the wood. This is why you will want to dampen your cleaning cloth slightly and prevent this.
  • Ostrich-feather dusters easily glide over any, including delicate and fragile, surfaces, and get to hard-to-reach areas. Their small fibers whisk up and retain dust particles, leaving clean, dust and feather-free wood surfaces behind.
  • Lint-free cloths will not give up any fluff when used for dusting. To trap dust, dampen them minimally.
  • Specially treated, soft and non-scratching cloths easily attract and trap dust and dirt. Feel free to use them instead of silicon sprays to clean your wooden furniture.
  • Use terry towels to dry and remove any moisture left after dusting using a damp cloth. Terry cloth surface is made of many woven loops that can retain a lot of liquid.
  • Lambswool dusters contain lanolin that creates natural magnetic static. This feature makes lambswool dusters easily attract and retain dust. Use these dusters for dusting any wooden surfaces and areas that are hard to reach.

How to Clean Fine Wood Furniture

For optimal furniture care, always use a soft cloth for cleaning. If you do not clean your furniture properly, dust can scratch the surface of the wood. It is best to never clean your furniture with a dry cloth, as this can cause dust to make microscopic scratches on the wood. Only use furniture cleaning products.
  • First spray it on the surface of your furniture evenly. Avoid using more spray than needed.
  • Then wipe the surface in circular motions using a clean microfiber cloth.
  • Lastly, wipe down the surface again with a dry cloth for a nice polish.
Never use soap and water for cleaning wooden furniture. Water is not a friend of wood as it causes swelling of the wood and staining of your furniture. Never use a wet cloth for furniture dusting. If you notice any sticky spots on the surface of your wooden furniture, you may need to use soap and water. Go carefully about it. Dip the cloth in mild detergent dissolved in water. With cloth almost dry quickly wipe the area and immediately rinse and dry using a soft, clean cloth.

Yearly Natural Wood Furniture Care and Maintenance

You will need to polish your table once a year to ensure that it shines like the first time it entered your home. Avoid silicone based polish products like Pledge because it can be absorbed by the natural wood over time and ruin your rustic table. Instead, find and use a hard carnauba wax. Polishing the table requires a little effort. Luckily, you only have to do it once per year. Wood furniture care and maintenance are actually pretty simple and straightforward. Start with dusting your furniture regularly with a piece of soft cloth in order to maintain its appearance and elegance. When cleaning your table, use soft cloth dipped in mild soap solution without perfumes or alcohol to wipe clean the surface. Due to the nature of the wood, your table will see little cracks over time. To retain its longevity, maintain relative humidity between 40% and 45%. When moving your table, please avoid dragging it. Instead, lift the table up and put it down slowly. Use the adjustment cap at the bottom of the legs to level the table. Our wood tables are heavy, so if you need help, find it when moving them.

Enemies of Your Natural Wood Furniture

  • Direct Sunlight! This is the enemy number one of Naturalist wood furniture! The UV content of the sunlight damages the varnish of wood furniture. Keeping your furniture away from direct sunlight will prolong the life of your furniture.
  • Liquid Spills! If any kind of liquid spills on your furniture, immediately wipe it with a dry cloth. Wood should never get wet! Using coasters for your drinks will help prevent water rings.
  • Heat! Placing hot item on a wooden surface will damage the finish of wood and leave permanent white marks and/or spots on the exposed area. Always use coasters and thick mats to avoid direct contact of hot items with wood.
  • Humidity! Wood is very sensitive to humidity. As weather changes, the humidity level in your home also changes. This variation in humidity changes the moisture content of wood furniture. As a result of the variation in humidity, wood furniture can contract and expand. High moisture content causes the wood to swell and excessive dryness causes wood to split and crack. Therefore it is very important to maintain a normal humidity level in your home or office.
Natural Wood Furniture Care and Maintenance Guide

Resin Wood Furniture Care and Maintenance

When it comes to caring and maintaining your resin wood tables and other furniture, feel free to apply all the above-listed steps. The most important thing in resin wood furniture care and maintenance is to keep their surface clean, especially in high traffic areas. Simply wiping down the table top in between busy periods on a daily basis will be crucial. Never use abrasive cleaning tools to clean your resin wood furniture. Resin is scratch resistant but it’s not scratch proof and, at the same time, wood is neither. Take preventative steps to protect your resin wood tables and other furniture pieces:
  • Your table has a water-proof resin table top but still be careful with water and other liquids. Excessive use of water will not help it look great. Be extremely careful with wood — it should never get wet. Wipe up any spills immediately.
  • Make sure to regularly check the bolts and nuts that connect the top of your table to its base and ensure they are properly tightened and rust-free. A loose table may lead to a damage to the table or even an accident.
  • Never place hot mugs, pots, pans, and other hot objects directly on to your resin wood table or other furniture. Use mats, trivets, and coasters to avoid marking the surface.
  • Naturalist resin wood tables, credenzas, and other furniture have great UV stability. However, a prolonged exposure to direct sunlight and UV light can cause some changes to appear, just like with any other materials. This is why we don’t recommend our wood and resin furniture for outdoor use. Keep them away from direct sunlight if possible.
  • Naturalist resin wood furniture is very durable and leaving marks on it is almost impossible with usual use. However, sharp objects can cause damage if not used properly or dropped onto the surface. Avoid placing and using abrasive or sharp objects on resin wood surfaces.
  • Never use harsh cleaners for cleaning your resin wood table. Harsh chemicals can damage both resin and wood.
  • To clean your resin wood table and other furniture, use a clean, soft cloth slightly dampened and then dry it using a dry cloth.
Wood Furniture Care and Maintenance Guide Hudson 200 White Resin Dining Table

Live Edge Wood Furniture Care and Maintenance

Naturalist live edge wood tables are made from one-of-a-kind wood and expose the organic, natural shape of the tree. Uneven surface, pits, cracks, and knots are the features that make these tables unique and timeless. We enjoy them, appreciate them, and relish their exquisite singular look. However, maintaining and caring for the surface of live edge wood tables and other live edge furniture may present a challenge. It is not hard, you just need to know how to do it. Follow these tips to prolong the longevity of your Naturalist live edge wood table, keep it functional and looking amazing for many years to come.

Use Microfiber Cloths to Dust Live Edge Wood Table

Never dry dust your live edge wood table as dust particles may scratch it. Use a soft, lint-free, slightly dampened microfiber cloth. These cloths are highly absorbent and will dust your live edge wood table surface without leaving streaks, marks, or scratches. Cracks and knots of live edge tables may retain dust and dirt deep in their creases. Using microfiber dusting cloths, you can get deep enough into these grooves and make them dust and dirt free. Even more easily, microfiber material will remove the dust off the table surface. Dust your live edge wood table regularly, if not often, to avoid collecting layers of dust as they can scratch the surface. This is a simple wood furniture care and maintenance process that assures a long life and gorgeous look for your live edge wood table. Wood Furniture Care and Maintenance Guide Naturalist Live Edge Coffee Table

Clean Your Live Edge Wood Table Using Natural Cleaning Products

Opting for natural cleaning products is always a great idea. Cleaning wood furniture with a mixture of water and vinegar is one of the simplest and most natural methods that is very effective. Vinegar is anti-bacterial and powerful in cleaning irregular surfaces. Process: Mix half a cup of white vinegar to half a gallon of warm water in a bucket. Dip soft cleaning cloth into the mixture and wring it thoroughly. The cloth should be damp, not soaked. Don’t use more water than you have to because it can penetrate the wood and the finish of the table. To penetrate to the crevices, knots, and cracks, lightly push the cloth into the pits of the live edge wood table using your finger. Dip the cloth again into the mixture of water and vinegar again if needed, wring, and repeat the process. Once the table is clean, dry it using a dry, soft microfiber cloth. Cleaning wood furniture with olive oil and vinegar is another method that will keep your live edge wood table look like the first time you saw it. This natural mixture should be used as a natural wood furniture polish that will revitalize and renew wood, not more than once or twice a year. Before you try this process, you should test a small area of your table first. Process: Mix a quarter cup of olive oil and a quarter cup of white vinegar. Apply a small amount of the vinegar — olive oil mixture on a soft cloth to your wood table and buff its surface to a shine you desire. The olive oil will replenish wood moisture while vinegar will benefit the wood with its antibacterial traits. Wood Furniture Care and Maintenance Guide Stitch Live Edge Walnut Dining Table

Don’t Use Polish Products Excessively on Your Live Edge Table

If you decide to use industrial wood polish products for your live edge wood table, know that they can leave a residue that will over time fog your table’s figured wood. This can affect the beautiful, organic look of rough, uneven edges that we love so much. Industrial wood polish will simply fill the knots and cracks and will be hard to take out after a while. Avoid this by polishing only the flat surface of your table and steer clear of knots, cracks, and pits.

Protect Live Edge Wood Tables from Heat

Naturalist live edge wood tables are made from real, 100% wood slabs. Like any wood, they are also sensitive to high heat. Keep them away from high heat areas like radiators or open flame.

Protect Live Edge Wood Furniture From Moisture

Like any other wood furniture, live edge wood tables don’t like moisture and they won’t be able to resist the moisture damages. If you use your live edge wood table in your living room or dining room, make sure to use coasters whenever you’re entertaining your friends or family. Any accidental liquid spills clean immediately using a clean, soft cloth made of absorbent material. If moisture sits on the table surface, it can damage the finishing.

Wood Furniture Care and Maintenance is Easy with Naturalist Woodworks

Whether you decide to hire furniture maintenance services or take furniture care protection on yourself, the maintenance of our resin wood products and live edge tables is simple and easy. The answers on all of your questions are above. We gathered all the facts about wood furniture care and maintenance in one place and answered all the questions that we get from our clients. Follow our guide to ensure the longevity, high functionality, and gorgeous looks of your one-of-a-kind wood furniture. Feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions about natural wood care and maintenance.