Keep Your Wood Furniture at Top Condition

A room filled with wood furniture certainly looks elegant and conveys the feeling of warmth, but damages and stains would only ruin this image. With just a little effort on your part, you can make wood furniture last for a lifetime, or even longer. A piece of furniture that is well taken care of will surely endure several generations and will become a valued family treasure. Below are a few tips on how to ensure the longevity of hardwood furniture:

1. Maintain the relative humidity in the room at 25 to 35 percent by using a humidifier during the winter season and an air conditioner during the summer. Wood exchanges moisture with the air constantly, thus it shrinks and expands as a response to changes in the humidity level. If the air is extremely dry, the wood would lose its moisture. A few slits would appear between wood panels since they would shrink. If the air’s humidity becomes too high, the wood would absorb excess moisture and would expand. Drawers, for instance, may swell and get stuck.

2. Avoid putting wood furniture right in front of any heat-generating object, such as radiators and fireplaces. Also avoid exposing it to direct sunlight. Doing so would only dry up the wood and cause it to shrink.

3. You may clean the surface of your furniture with water and mild soap. But before doing this, test the solution on a non-noticeable area, such as the back of the furniture, in order to make sure it does not cause any damage to the wood finish. Using a soft cloth, dry the surface immediately, following the wood grain.

4. Occasional waxing or polishing would help in maintaining the beauty of your hardwood furniture. This can be done once or twice a year. Before polishing your furniture, remove the old wax first using water and mild non-alkaline soap. Do not use an oil-based and a wax-based polish on one piece of furniture. Using both at the same time can cause unattractive smudges and marks, so make sure you stick to one kind of furniture polish.

5. Use coasters, placemats, and other protective covers in order to prevent spills and stains. If spills do occur, blot them immediately.

6. When cleaning the surface of your wood furniture, make sure to lift, not slide, the objects that are in your way.

7. Gently open and close the drawers, doors, and lids of your furniture. Banging them may cause the wood to crack.

Wood Furniture
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