It is a rare home that does not have any wood furniture as part of its decor. The sturdy designs and rich grains that wooden pieces have, add a touch of coziness to any home. You are not doing your decor any favor if the surfaces of your wood furniture have fine layers of dust or a coat of sticky residue.
Here are some hints about how you can clean wooden furniture so that it maintains a better sheen and can help in prolonging its lifespan.
First: An Important Piece of Information
You can still buy wooden furniture in stores or online, and even antique furniture that is made from wood. However, most of the affordable and modern furniture that you get nowadays is not made from actual wood, but from laminates and veneers.
Newer furniture will often come with a cleaning guide given by the manufacturer, or you will find online, their recommendations for the treatment of furniture. Nevertheless, it is important to understand that the instructions for caring for a desk that has laminates will be different from those that are required when you have to care for your grandmother’s inheritance – a mahogany sideboard.
Cleaning Wooden Furniture – The Basics
Most people will use polish or commercial cleaners when they need to care for the wood furniture that they have. Unfortunately, if you do so, your furniture that is made from actual wood will suffer some harm. Why?
Every polish and cleaner will have different chemical makeup. As time goes by, these products will react with the finish on the wood and make it sticky. To add to that, finishes that are of lacquer will absorb water and chemicals so that they are ultimately stripped, leading to the wood becoming bare and completely exposed to the chemicals that are part of these cleaning products. It is this reason that makes it important to use cleaning products as sparingly as you can.
Cleaning Wood furniture
Use chemical-based cleaners only if your furniture manufacturer recommends it, otherwise here are some ways with which you can have your wooden furniture looking sleek and warm, whether it is made from veneer, particleboard, balsa or cherry.
All that you need is a little water and microfiber cloth.
You can get rid of fingerprints, smears, and dust on your furniture by wiping it down with dry microfiber cloth.
If any spots are sticky, wet the microfiber cloth and use it to clean them by applying light pressure until the spots are removed. It is important to make sure that your microfiber cloth is just damp and not wet, as otherwise the wood can get damaged or its finish can be ruined.
Preventative maintenance
It does not require much effort in cleaning wood furniture as long as you do it regularly. But your furniture is better maintained if you take a few steps to prevent damage.
Always use coasters, whether the drinks you serve are hot or cold.
When you serve hot meals, make use of placemats and trivets.
Condensation rings and any spills must be wiped immediately.
Learn the right way to clean stains made by water on your furniture.
Once you know the right way of caring for your wooden furniture it will help you to preserve its looks and integrity for a long time to come. Think Maids can help you take care of your wood furniture. Give us a call today!