Oak Furniture Care
Oak furniture is beautiful and elegant and tends to look better and better the longer you have it. However, for this to be the case, looking after it properly is essential. Although oak is very durable, if your hardwood furniture is not cared for adequately it can get ruined and end up scratched, split, warped, faded or stained.
Caring for your oak furniture is actually simple. Advice falls into two categories - what to do and what to try and avoid.
When you bring a new piece of furniture into your home, it needs to acclimatise to the moisture levels. To help it do this it needs to be waxed with a hardwood polish immediately and repeated every few months. This nourishes the wood and at the same time creates a protective seal. Apply in the direction of the grain and then rub it off gently. You should also dust it regularly with a clean duster.
When purchasing cleaning products, make sure they are suitable for hardwood - general household cleaners can do more damage than good.
The positioning of your furniture is important - keep it away from direct sunlight or bright electric lights to stop it fading and position it away from radiators to stop it drying out and cracking. If you find it has cracked only on the surface it is probably just the shellac in the polish and you can try to remedy this by brushing on some wood alcohol thinner.
Wood needs to be in a fairly dry environment so ensure that your room has proper ventilation to stop the moisture levels rising too high.
If you drop any liquid on the wood, make sure it is wiped up immediately with a soft, lightly moist cloth. Attempt to blot the liquid rather than spreading it around further. If you use place mats and coasters it will minimise the risk of spills getting to the furniture in the first place.
Sometime you will have an item of furniture that has sections that aren’t always on display such as with an extending table. If you want to keep the wood looking the same throughout, you will need to make sure that you get the extending sections out quite often so that the colour changes are even throughout. If you have an oak desk or shelving it is also a good idea to move items on them occasionally to avoid leaving marks and to ensure even colour changes.
Moving your treasured furniture should be done carefully. If pieces are simply dragged on the floor it may put stress on the joints. If you need to put it into storage at any point you will need a unit that is climate controlled and free from damp.
Solid oak furniture can last for many years and with only a small amount of effort you can keep your investment looking great.
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For oak furniture Southampton, Salisbury, Blandford or Poole, try A World of Furniture - they have an online shop too and deliver mainly to the South of England.
