General Care for your Furniture

With just a little care and effort in looking after your new furniture, it will still look as good as new for many years to come. Below you will find some simple rules and tips on how to maintain that new look along with some simple suggestions on what to do when things go wrong.

Just follow these basic rules for the best results:

  1. Avoid placing your furniture in direct sunlight, near radiators or other sources of heat, in front of or under windows and air conditioning vents.
  2. Always use a tablecloth, placemats and coasters to protect the furniture when in use and never place hot dishes, cups or plates directly onto the wood – damage could occur even with heatproof finishes.
  3. Clear up any spills as soon as possible to avoid staining.
  4. Never ‘drag’ furniture into position – always lift into place.
  5. Daylight also has an effect on wood, so it is best to move any ornaments or objects that have been in placed on the furniture for any length of time as this will leave a lighter patch of wood which will take time to mellow down and disappear.
  6. Never use chemicals or abrasive cleaners on your furniture.
  7. Clean only using a soft cloth. For stubborn marks use a very slightly damp cloth and dry immediately. Do not leave any moisture on the surface.
  8. Keep solvents, alcohol, nail polish and polish removers away from the furniture surfaces.
  9. Read and follow the manufacturers care instructions. It’s always handy to keep them for future reference.

Wood furniture is made from timber that has been kiln dried and just enough moisture is left so that the furniture can adjust to the humidity in your home.

Like skin, solid wood furniture loses moisture in dry air and shrinks a bit – this becomes obvious when drawers seem to be slightly loose or maybe small gaps appear on solid surfaces. The wood expands again when the humidity rises and absorbs more moisture and sometimes when the humidity is very high, too much is absorbed and can cause drawers and doors to stick. This is a natural process as wood is a natural product and does not affect the furniture.

! Useful Tip - If your dining table extension leaves do not store in the table, then store them as close as possible to the table, this keeps the humidity levels as even as possible on both the table and leaves.

Finish Care

A lacquered finish is harder wearing than wax and has a sheen that highlights the grain and colour of the wood. It can be heat resistant, but we still strongly advise you to use heat resistant mats and coasters when placing hot items on the furniture surface. It can repel spills easier, although these should still be cleaned up as soon as possible using a soft cloth. Small amounts of furniture polish can be used in moderation on lacquered furniture (do not spray directly onto the furniture – apply to a soft cloth first); however, do not use chemicals, abrasive materials or cleaners. If you accidentally damage or scratch the surface you may want to rub some solid wax polish into the area to repel moisture.

Oiled finishes should be kept dust free using a lint free cloth and wiped in the direction of the grain. After a while, you may notice that the wood starts to look dull and dry. This can be rectified by using either Danish oil or boiled linseed oil applied with a soft cloth or sponge again applied in the direction of the grain.

Waxed furniture has a soft finish that requires a little more care and attention. Dust with a clean dry cloth and periodically apply natural beeswax using grade 0000 wire wool to ‘feed’ the wood to prevent it from drying out and cracking. Always use coasters and mats when placing objects on the furniture. Do not use furniture polishes or sprays on waxed furniture.

! Useful Tip - Avoid applying wax to urethane finished furniture as this attracts the dust rather than repels it!

Troubleshooting

Minor damage can be quickly and effectively sorted out by using the following solutions, however for more serious or complex damage it is advisable to consult an expert especially on the lacquer finishes. Before repairing any scratches, stains or other damage, always test an inconspicuous area with the chosen remedy first to make sure it won’t cause any further problems.

On pine furniture, small dents and bruises can be easily repaired using wet tissue or cotton wool. Simply place it on the damaged area and leave for a couple of hours (on more severe dents, it may be necessary to leave overnight). The moisture will soak into the wood causing it to swell and the dent will ‘pop’ out. It may be possible to use this method on other wood, but with varying degrees of success.

Repairing Scratches
When preparing to repair small nicks or scratches, always test an inconspicuous area of the furniture first ensure the remedies supposed to fix the problem won't cause more damage especially with regard to colour and finish.

If the scratch isn’t too deep, then it is easier to camouflage it by using either a touch-up pen purchased from furniture retailers or hardware stores. If one cannot be purchased, then use a felt tip pen – BUT REMEMBER TO COLOUR TEST IN AN INCONSPICUOUS AREA FIRST AS IT CANNOT BE RECTIFIED EASILY.

For deeper scratches and nicks the ideal solution is use wax filler. Simply take some wax that is the nearest colour to your furniture, work between your fingers until it is soft and malleable then rub into the scratch or fill the nick. Remove any surplus

Ring Marks
Whichever remedy you use to remove any marks or stains, they always carry the risk of causing more damage, so if you are in any doubt, then we strongly recommend that you contact a refinisher or French polisher who would be able to give more expert advice. Below we have given a couple of the more traditional solutions, there is also a wealth of suggestions on numerous sites online for the more obscure problems.

There is an excellent product on the market that is used for removing white rings caused by heat or water on lacquered surfaces which again can be bought from some furniture retailers or hardware stores. However, if you have a waxed finish maybe the following home remedies would give better results. For water marks, cover the stain with a clean, thick blotter and press down with a warm iron, this should soak up any excess moisture. When dry re-wax. For white heat marks rub with a cloth dipped in lighter fuel, followed by a mixture of rottenstone and linseed oil. Wipe off and dry then apply wax to the entire surface.