Furniture care does not need to be complicated, especially when you are working with well-made, solid wood pieces. With occasional dusting, gentle cleaning, and a few simple precautions, your furniture can maintain its natural beauty through years of everyday use.
The following five tips will help you protect solid wood furniture and keep it looking as it did the day you brought it home.
1. Dust Occasionally
Solid wood furniture benefits from occasional dusting. Usually, dusting this furniture once a week is appropriate. Dusting can be done easily with a soft cloth that captures dust rather than spreading it. Any soft cloth will do, but for maximum effect, consider some options made specifically for wood furniture, such as Guardsman® Treated Cotton Dusting Cloths. These cotton cloths gently remove dust from solid wood furniture.
2. Clean When Needed
Your wood furniture won’t need to be cleaned often, but every few weeks is a good idea to keep it looking its best. To clean the surface of your furniture, use a soft, damp cloth wrung nearly dry and gently wipe down the piece you’re cleaning. If needed, you can add a tiny bit of mild detergent to the water you use to wet the cloth. After wiping down the furniture, dry it with a new cloth right away.
3. Do I Need to Polish My Furniture?
Hardwood furniture doesn’t need regular polishing to stay looking beautiful. However, if after dusting and cleaning your furniture if you’d like to add an extra touch, there is polish made specifically for wood furniture that can be used. Guardsman® offers an easily applied spray called Anytime Clean & Polish that can be safely used to give your solid wood furniture a little extra shine.
4. Mind Your Furniture’s Environment
Solid wood furniture does well in many environments. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t help protect it where you can. Part of doing so includes paying attention to where you place your furniture in your home. If you can, put your solid wood furniture where it won’t receive direct sunlight for too long, and ensure that it isn’t placed too near air vents. This will help keep your furniture looking like new for years to come.
5. Protect Your Furniture’s Surface
Solid wood furniture is among the sturdiest, as mentioned previously, but you can still take steps to help protect it when you have the chance. One way you can do this is by protecting the furniture’s surface, particularly for pieces like solid-wood dining tables or coffee and side tables in your living room. Simply keeping coasters available for drinks and hot dishes will go a long way toward protecting your furniture.
Furniture Care That Helps Your Pieces Last
Furniture care is simple when you focus on regular dusting, gentle cleaning, and protecting each piece from heat, moisture, and direct sunlight. These small habits can help solid wood furniture maintain its beauty and strength for many years.
If you are still looking for the right hardwood furniture for your home, explore our solid wood pieces here at Amish Oak and Cherry.
