Wooden furniture is not just utility items at home, they are equally pleasing for the eyes and contribute extensively to the design and decor of the ambiance. And therefore, they need proper care and regular maintenance so that they may appear new every day.
Maintaining wooden furniture can become an issue if not done properly. As they are costly, they seek regular attention. Primarily, there are three aspects of the maintenance of wooden furniture – dusting, cleaning, and polishing.
- Dusting
Dust is generally the airborne deposits that form a layer on the surface. Sometimes, they also cause scratches and take away the shine. Regular dusting prevents dust to accumulate and cause any harm. For effective cleaning, you can use dry, clean, and soft clothes or feather dusters. If you do not want the dust to scatter in the air, use a slightly damp piece of cloth for dusting. Some of the dusting tools that you can use are:
Soft cloth: clean cotton cloth or old discarded cotton t-shirts can be used for dusting purposes.
Towels: Use a clean towel to remove any moisture that may have been left on the furniture after dusting with a damp cloth.
Classic feather duster: These dusters easily remove dirt from delicate surfaces like glass or mirrors on a piece of furniture.
- Cleaning
Cleaning the wooden furniture should also be one of your regular activities at home. Also, as a precautionary measure, use only clean clothes, else you may cause more harm to the piece of furniture than cleaning. Do not use all-purpose cleaning sprays, unless your furniture has a plastic coating. Do not wash the furniture with water; however, for greasy and sticky stains, use a mixture of mild soap and water. You can also wring the cloth gently before wiping the area, and immediately clean it with a dry, clean and soft cloth.
- Polishing
Though polishing is not required on a regular basis, you must inspect your furniture regularly to check whether there are any scratches or the paint is coming out of the surface, etc. If these problems are there, then it’s time for polishing. You may use any of these three – polish, wax, or spray. Just make sure you use any of them and do not use the combination. Wax is a semi-solid agent and requires elbow grease to apply. It creates a long-lasting coat. Polish is made from petroleum distillates, which are a solvent and evaporate quickly. It is easier to apply polish than wax. Whereas, furniture sprays contain silicone oil and it evaporates, just like polish. Also, do not spray much and buff the sprayed area well and clean it with a piece of clean cloth.
It is said that wooded furniture stays for ages. Though, it is entirely in your hands how they would look and appear throughout their life. Regular maintenance simply enhances the lifespan of any wooden furniture. Take their proper care and they will stay with you as new as ever.