Tips to Taking Care of Your Solid Wood Dining Table

Posted by Avanica on January 1st, 2019

Solid wood furniture is often opted for because they are durable, stable and add a look of class and elegance to the room. When it comes to dining tables, a well-designed solid wood table with a beautiful pattern can make a good and strong statement.

However, wooden furniture requires certain levels of maintenance. Because furniture is seen as an investment, you would want to take care of your handcrafted furniture. If you have a solid wood dining table, these are some tips to take care of it.

Regular Maintenance

While wood furniture lasts a long time, most being passed down from generation to generation, they do require regular maintenance. Don’t let your wooden furniture gather dust or let spilled food or drinks harden or dry on the wood. Take care of the furniture and look for any stains or scratches on a regular basis.

Dusting

When it comes to taking care of your handcrafted furniture, dusting is the most basic cleaning method. Dust the furniture so that no dust settles on the surface. This is important in taking care of your furniture, but also because no one wants to dine on a table covered in dust.

Cleaning and Polishing

Dusting alone won’t keep solid wood furniture in good condition. You need to wipe the furniture down regularly and clean it thoroughly. When necessary, you may even need to polish the furniture.

If someone spills food or drink on your dining table, don’t leave the cleaning up for later. Wipe the surface clean immediately.

Products

Whether it’s a cleaning product or a polish, always make sure the product is suitable for solid wood furniture. Some products can cause great damage to wood, so you will want to make sure that the products you use won’t do more harm than good.

Cover Surface Area in Use

A solid wood dining table looks great as is, but keeping it uncovered when in use might not be a good idea. If you want to take care of your handcrafted furniture, cover any surface area that is in use. Use a table cloth, placemats, coasters and table runners so that plates, dishes and glasses, especially with hot or cold food/drinks in them, won’t be placed directly on your solid wood dining table.

Quick Repairs

Constant use of furniture will cause certain damages to the furniture, and there is no way to avoid this. However, what is important is that these repairs are done without any delays. Don’t ignore small or quick repairs until some major repairs need to be done.

Avoid Plastic

Plastic placemats and table runners are quite cheap and easy to clean, so they seem ideal for use. However, they can cause great damage to your wood furniture, especially when in contact for a long period of time. The colors can get into the wood and this will ruin your handcrafted furniture.

Termites Are the Enemy

Wood has one main enemy and that is termites. Termites will destroy your wood furniture, so make sure that no beetles, bugs and termites can cause any damage to your furniture.

Warped Wood

Weather changes can make wood warp or stretch, so be aware of the climate and weather. You will also want to avoid placing solid wood furniture in direct sunlight, as it can bleach the wood.

When it comes to taking care of handcrafted furniture, you will also want to make sure it isn’t placed right next to a heat source like a fireplace.

Taking care of solid wood furniture doesn’t require constant maintenance and cleaning, but it is important to dust regularly, use the right products as well as table cloths and coasters to keep scratches, fading and other damage to a minimal.

Bio : Marcus Stewart is a retired Calgary journalist, currently working as a digital content developer for a private magazine publishers in Ontario Canada. He is writing contents about luxury furniture stores, shopping malls, restaurants etc,  for the business column of the magazine.