Urban Quarter Guide: How to maintain your solid wood furniture
Solid wood furniture is our all-time favorite due its everlasting design and its durability. Whether you have a mid-century, modern style or minimalistic house or apartment or planning to have an urban industrial look for your home, you would probably choose a few pieces of solid wood furniture to complete your house.
We have summarized a few tips and tricks to clean your solid wood furniture and keep them looking at its best. Read on!
Determine the Top Coat of Your Furniture
The first step for cleaning your wood furniture is by determining what kind of finish or topcoat your wooden furniture has. There are some possibilities, whether it is polyurethane — like the finish on some wood floors, or water-based. Whether it is coated with varnish or rubbed with wax so it adds the smoothness to the touch.
Pay Attention to the Directions
You want to assure that the product you use is suitable for your wooden furniture by finding out the ingredients of the solutions you plan to use. Take a look at the ingredients to find out whether it contains any harsh chemicals, as it might pull out a stain or alter a finish. Note that some products can dull the solid wood’s surface, and others might make it darker or yellow. Another important thing is if the product is stated to create a high sheen, you have to avoid using it on unfinished or waxed wood.
Note for Your Outdoor Teak Furniture
Teak furniture is very easy to maintain. However, when exposed or left untreated, the teak will age beautifully and will turn to silver-grey patina within 3-6 months (depending on the weather condition). This change in the teak wood appearance does not affect the structural integrity of the wood and is completely normal.
If you like the silver-grey patine hue of the teak wood, you may leave the wood untreated. On the other hand, if you like the warm tone of teak, you can apply a teak brightener to store the original color then rinse. The original color will appear by lightly sanding the entire surface of each piece, always working in the direction of the grain.
Other Treatments You Can Consider
Generally, you can start the cleaning process by gently dusting your wooden furniture. Next, wipe the piece with a slightly damp cloth in a circular motion. Dilute a little amount of dishwashing liquid in water whenever you need to get over a small spot, then to clean the soap you need to dip a soft cloth into the treated water and squeeze to dry the cloth and wipe the cleaned spot. Dry it with a barely damp cloth and for the last step, finish with a dry cloth.
These steps are the basic steps you need to know. However, before you clean your wooden furniture, you’ll need to read the manufacturer’s care guidelines and check on how to clean it. This is important as you probably will find some rules that might surprise you! Therefore, you are able to minimize the room for error and do the mistakes-free wooden furniture cleaning.
