Caring For Your Wood Furniture
Wood furniture that is well built will last generations with very little maintenance. There are some important things you can do, however, to keep your wood furniture looking and lasting its best. First, remember that water and wood do not go together. Wood furniture likes moderate to low humidity that is kept constant. Wood does not like to take a bath. Unless you are sure that your furniture has a waterproof coating, do not get it wet. If the wood does get wet, wipe up all water as quickly as possible and let the wood dry out. To properly care for your furniture, it is important that you know what kind of finish it has. Most furniture will have some instructions for maintenance with it when it is delivered. If it does not, and you can not determine what the finish is, then you should be cautious about what you use to clean the furniture to be sure you do not damage the finish. Commercial furniture polish often helps in cleaning furniture because it both attracts and holds bits of dust and it acts as a lubricant preventing scratching of the surface as you clean and dust. Many polishes have oil in them "to nourish and revitalize the wood" (or something like that). The oils are beneficial if your piece has an oil finish or is unfinished, but do not provide any lasting benefit if the finish is a urethane or acrylic coating. A coating of wax may help protect and beautify wood. Wax does not provide a significant barrier to moisture, though. Sunlight is another problem for wood. Direct sunlight will, over time, darken or change the color of most woods. Some finishes have additives to reduce the effect of sunlight, but over time, it takes its toll. The best defense is to keep wood furniture out of direct sun using window coverings or placing the furniture away from windows. If that is not possible, then be aware that exposed wood will eventually be a different color than unexposed wood.