1. Be Gentle
One of the things that you will want to do when it comes to caring for this type of furniture would be avoiding mistreating it. You want to be gentle with the furniture. While wood is an inherently durable material, you can easily damage the wood. Try to avoid placing hot mugs on the surface of your tables, always use coasters with your drinks, and more. You should be looking to protect your wood furniture as much as possible because you can damage wood very easily.
2. Clean It Properly
You will find that you are going to need to clean your furniture regularly. One of the things that you should be doing very often is dusting your wooden furniture. However, because the wood has a finish to it, you want to ensure the cleaning solution you are using isn’t going to damage it. An all-purpose cleaning solution is one of the things you want to avoid using because it could strip and ruin the natural finish of your wood. Instead, stick to using only a damp cloth and use regular dishwashing soap. By doing this, you will be able to avoid stripping the finish and you should be able to clean it without using excessive amounts of water.
3. Don’t Store Your Furniture In Humid Places
One of the things you may find yourself doing a lot would be storing your furniture. If you are going to be storing your furniture, try to avoid storing it in very humid places. Meaning, you shouldn’t be using your attic nor your basement. Instead, try to use another area of your home that isn’t going to get too humid which can damage the wood.
4. Protect It Properly
If you are going to use a lot of wood furniture, you should be investing in polish for it. That way, you will be able to place a coating on your wood furniture to help protect it from minor bumps and scratches.
5. Avoid Sunlight
Believe it or not, but direct sunlight can damage a lot of your furniture. This is especially true as it relates to your wood furniture. Your wood furniture is susceptible to damage from sunlight because sunlight has harmful and damaging UV rays. Thus, you want to avoid allowing the sunlight directly to hit your wooden furniture as best as possible.
6. Care For Your Wood After Accidents
This includes either damaging your furniture or spilling something on it. The thing is, accidents are going to happen. Your furniture will be able to withstand accidents as long as you are proactive in repairing it, follow wood care practices. If your furniture gets stained from a spill, you will want to look to repair it and clean it as soon as possible. Allowing a stain to set in will only make it much tougher to get rid of. Whereas, if you end up chipping your wood or doing something else to it, you may need to re-paint the wood. Another good option for minor scratches and bruises would be liquid polish. That way, you can hide the imperfections without having to do much else.
7. Wax It
You want to look to reapply the necessary wax coating if your original coat wears off. You will find that it will wear off at some point through normal wear and tear.
8. Use Protective Items
You want to use protective items on your wooden furniture that can range from coasters to placemats and even table cloths. All of these things will help you effectively care for your furniture.
9. Avoid Wrong Placement
One of the key things that should be avoided if you are going to be using real wood furniture would be to avoid placing the furniture near your heating vents because it can result in damage to your furniture over time.
10. Pets
If you have pets, you should be looking to get carpets for your floors and any furniture they can get on. That way, you can minimize contact with their nails which can scratch it.
By using the tips above, you should be able to protect your wood furniture as best possible. Be certain to remain diligent when it comes to placement, cleaning, and repairing damage from regular wear and tear.