Wooden furniture is found in every Indian home, but simply buying and showcasing the furniture is not enough. When a piece of furniture comes with an expensive price tag, it’s equally important to spend some time cleaning and taking care of it. Proper care and scrubbing are imperative for preserving the wooden pieces. Before you begin the process, remember that different types of wood demands different types of care and attention.
Read on to know how you can take care of your precious furniture in an effective way.
Oiled Wood
Oiled wood surfaces have a soft and they are low maintenance wood since they require only infrequent application of furniture oil to keep them looking super.
Taking care: Never to wax oil finish furniture as wax blocks the pores of the wood, causing it to dry out and become stiff. To remove white spots on oil-finish furniture, such as those left by wet drinking glasses, rub them with toothpaste on a cloth. Or rub the white spots with a mild abrasive and oil. Appropriate abrasives are ash, salt, baking soda, or pumice; oils include olive oil, petroleum jelly, or cooking oil.
Painted Wood
For painted wood furniture, the finest upkeep is probably the least since some polishes and waxes can damage the color and decoration.
Taking care: Vacuum the furniture frequently with a brush and wipe irregularly with a sponge to eliminate blotches and finger marks.
Polished Wood
This kind of furniture is completed with paint, polish, or wax. Any commercial polish will clean wood surfaces quickly. Choose a product that is appropriate for the finish of your furniture. Paste wax gives a harder, longer-lasting finish than spray or liquid polish and is recommended for antiques.
Taking care: If you wear cotton gloves while you wax furniture, you will not leave fingerprints. Sprinkle cornstarch over the surface of recently polished furniture, and rub it to a high gloss. Cornstarch absorbs excess oil or wax and leaves a glistening surface that is free of fingerprints. You can also wipe polished wood furniture with a cloth dipped in tea, then buff. Lastly, apply mayonnaise to the white rings or spots on your wood furniture, let it sit for an hour, then wipe off with a soft cloth and polish.
Specialty Woods
The specialty woods used for furniture are wicker, rattan, bamboo, cane, and rush. They usually have a natural finish, but some pieces may have a varnish or shellac coating.
Taking care: Vacuum regularly with the brush attachment. With the exception of rush chair seats that are damaged by moisture, occasionally rinse specialty woods with water to restore moisture to the fibers. Remember than, wetting cane seats tightens them; spray the unvarnished side with water, and allow it to dry naturally.
Data credit: www.tlc.howstuffworks.com
