How to Care for Wood Furniture

Whether it has an oil, lacquered or varnished finish, caring for wood furniture does not require a lot of hard work.

Basic Care

One of the most common ways that people abuse/ mistreat their wood furniture is that they neglect to clean it regularly. Cleaning wooden furniture is easy.

• Be sure that wooden dining tables that are used daily are cleaned after every use and once every week / two weeks if they are not used frequently.
• The best way to clean wood furniture is with warm water and Murphy`s Oil Soap. Using a soft cloth that has been saturated in the mixture and then wrung out, wipe down the wood. Then completely dry the furniture immediately with a soft dry cloth.
• If a spill occurs, be sure to clean it up right away. Leaving a spill on a wooden surface can result in a spot that can be difficult to remove later.
• Placing wooden furniture over a heating vent can cause it to dry out quickly.Never place hot object such as coffee cups directly on wood furniture. The heat can cause a white moisture ring to form on the surface. If a white ring does form, apply a little petroleum jelly to the mark and allow it to sit overnight. It should be gone in the morning.
• Keep wooden furniture out of direct sunlight. Ultraviolet rays from the sun can age the wood prematurely and cause discoloration.

Polishing Wood

In order to keep wood looking its best it must be polished periodically and it is important to know what polish is best for specific finishes.

• Spray or aerosol polishes are by far the most convenient way of polishing, but most are silicone based and over time they can be harmful to lacquers and varnish.
• Oils such as linseed dry on furniture and over time can become hard to remove.
• Lemon oil is what most professionals recommend for polishing wood that has an oil finish.
• For most other finishes paste waxes are often the best option. It takes a lot more time and physical effort to apply these waxes properly, but the results are more than worth it. Paste waxes nourish and protect wood.

Decisions About Refinishing

Refinishing wood furniture can be a caustic and messy job and the decision to refinish it or not should be well thought out. Will refinishing it add to or decrease its value? Will it look better if it is refinished? Is it something that you can do yourself or will you have to commission someone else to do it? Is the piece worth the time and expense of refinishing?

At first glance, some very old wood furniture pieces may not look very appealing because their paint or varnish is cracked or peeling. Do your best to find out as much as possible about these pieces. Even though they may not look as attractive, many old pieces of wooden furniture are worth much more in their original state than they would be if they were refinished. If you are not sure if the piece would benefit from refinishing, it is best to consult a professional conservator before making your final decision.

Refinishing

If you have made the decision to refinish a piece of wood furniture, it is important that the proper method be used to remove the existing paint/ finish and what you will need to do the job.

• For removing several layers of paint on flatter surfaces, a heat gun is usually the best option. It works faster and is far less messy than than chemical removers.
• For varnished surfaces that will be stained and re-varnished, a good chemical remover is the best choice.
• For heavily carved/detailed pieces both a heat gun and chemical stripper can be used.
• Shellac finishes enhance wood grain but can be easily damaged by liquids.
• Polyurethane finishes are best for furniture that will be used frequently, but is not suitable for fine furniture.
• Lacquers provide medium protection, enhance wood grain and darken less than oil based finishes, but can be hard to apply evenly.