Care Instructions

How to Care for Your Real Wood Home Furnishings

So you’ve welcomed an impressive and beautiful solid wood item into your family, what’s next?  Owning real wood home furnishings is both a privilege and a responsibility.  Our furniture is constructed from actual trees, so caring for it takes a little more attention to ensure long lasting, beautiful service.

Cleaning

  • For every day cleaning, use a damp soft cloth to wipe off and clean your furniture.  Be sure to leave the furniture dry and without moisture.  If residue from food or use remains on the furniture, then use the soft side of a sponge (not the scrubby side!) and mild soap like dawn to lightly scrub it off.
  • No other polishes or cleaners should be used on your real wood furniture (especially ones with harsh chemicals or silicone). If you need to rejuvenate the finish of your furniture, we recommend the use of our Beeswax or our Heirloom Essentials Polish and Cleaner.

Environment

  • Carefully consider where your new furniture is located in your home. Avoid setting it directly in front of radiators, heating vents, or wood-burning stoves as dry air can cause wood to dry out and crack. Avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
  • The ideal indoor humidity range for solid wood furniture is 35-45%. An uncontrolled environment causes expansion and contraction which leads to splitting of the grain pattern or joints and gaping where leaves fit into the table. These conditions should be appreciated as inherent characteristics of solid wood and should not be assumed to be a defect in materials or workmanship.
 
 

Protection 

  • The finish on your furniture cannot withstand prolonged (over 6 hours) exposure to water or other liquids and cannot withstand extreme heat or anything with harsh chemicals in it.
  • Sometimes dishes, vases, and other items have rough porcelain or material that can scratch the topcoat when sliding them across the surface. It’s a good idea to lift these items when moving them instead of sliding them.
  • Fine pressure points like pencils or pens will indent the topcoat so it’s always a best practice to have something hard as a buffer underneath your writing surface.
  • Avoid chemically induced products like nail polish remover as the acetone in products like this will deteriorate the finish. Wipes with alcohol in them will have a similar effect.
  • Do not place unduly hot or cold cookware, appliances or utensils directly on your tabletop unless properly protected. Do not use vinyl/plastic tablecloths or place mats. The chemicals used to keep vinyl/plastic tablecloths and place mats supple can often react with wood finishes. Also, repeated use over time can damage your finish because moisture is consistently trapped between the place mat/tablecloths and finish.

Enjoy!

  • Implement these best practices and the beautifully finished real wood home furnishings will serve you and your family for decades! 
 

Questions? Contact Us and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have concerning your real wood home furnishings.

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