Furniture made of wood is common in all kinds of places, especially in the home. Wooden Furniture material provides an elegant aesthetic that requires little maintenance, however, this could vary based on its type or the coating that the furniture has, so it is convenient to know how to properly clean the wood.
Wooden Furniture In The Home
Wood is one of the most used materials in the manufacture of furniture, considering that it provides durability, resistance, and good aesthetics. Therefore, it is not surprising that in any home there are various types of furniture made of wood. Nothing brings more warmth, style, and finesse into a room than well-built wooden armchairs.
In this sense, wood can be present in elements such as doors, chairs, tables, desks, and more. It is also common to find wooden cabinets, whether in closet, storage, or cupboard format. However, the space inside is often hot, dark, and humid, which can become a breeding ground for mold.
This leads us to mention that wood, including furniture, needs certain care to be able to stay in good condition, since, being a natural element, it can rot.
Care According To The Type Of Wood
If you are not very familiar with the subject, we invite you to know the following tricks to clean wooden furniture, where you will find the most effective recommendations for the different types:
1. Soft Natural Wood
This type of wood is usually one of the most popular alternatives among buyers, since, having a high growth rate, its price is more affordable than others.
Among the soft natural wood furniture, we find those made with products from trees such as pine, fir, larch, cedar, redwood, and more.
If you don’t know how to clean and nourish wooden furniture, it’s often a good idea to consider beeswax or olive oil. Applying layers of these products to wooden furniture will help keep it in its initial state for longer, delaying darkening.
2. Hard Natural Wood
Natural hardwood comes from trees that require a long growing time before they can be felled. Because of this, furniture made of woods such as mahogany, oak, or maple is much more expensive and robust than soft.
3. Ancient Wood Furniture
Antique furniture is often made from natural hardwood or varnished wood, as it has had to withstand years of use, dust, humidity, and cleaning cycles.
To know how to clean the dust on old furniture, the first thing is to take into account that the wax for this type of furniture can follow the same instructions as that used for softwood. Its effects are equally good and also provide conservation and care.
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However, be aware that the absorption levels of old furniture wax on this type of wood can be lower than on new wood, and if they are in a very dusty place, a sticky layer of grime can quickly form.
4. Varnished Wood
Knowing how to clean varnished wooden furniture is necessary if you have old models at home since they usually have layers of this material to preserve them.
To remove stains on varnished wood, it is necessary to have a simple cloth with detergent diluted in water at hand, to rub the surfaces that need to be cleaned. If the dirt is very difficult to remove, you can change the cloth to a metal sponge, but be careful not to rub it too hard.
Another alternative, if the stain is not difficult or too embedded, is to use neutral soap to clean, with the help of a damp cloth. In all cases, it is crucial to rinse and dry the wood very well when finished, to prevent swelling.
5. Restored Wood
To work with restored wood, a mixture combining elements such as beeswax with paraffin and carnauba wax can be a very effective product for its care.
If we find ourselves before a piece of furniture that has been restored with lacquered wood, we can apply the same formula, since its effects will extend beyond the coating layer.
6. Wood With Fat
When we refer to wood with fat, this focuses mainly on the furniture that is found in the kitchen.
When exposed to the steam generated by cooking food, splashes, humidity, dust and other elements, a layer of fat will be generated that, if not cleaned in time, will become encrusted and can be very tedious to remove.
An effective alternative with good results is cleaning with vinegar. This element has effects that soften the fat, making it easier to remove. Cleaning wooden furniture with vinegar is usually a practical and economical solution with which, after rubbing a little, you can loosen the layer of dirt and make it easier to remove with a damp cloth.
One Last Tip
Cleaning wooden furniture is a task that will be influenced by the type of material and the environment in which it is since some treatments can speed up or reduce its attraction to moisture and dust.
So it’s no surprise that some of the most popular internet search for cleaning focus on how to clean wood doors, wood windows, wood beds, chairs, tables, and more.
Regardless of whether your furniture is made of a particular type of wood, a parameter that is decisive for its conservation and long-term usefulness is the level of humidity to which it is exposed.
Although it may not seem like it, changes in humidity levels can affect its molecular composition and if your furniture were exposed to high levels, it could be damaged more quickly and show signs of humidity or lose hardness.
In some cases, this can be solved with a humidifier or dehumidifier, if applicable, to keep levels in a safe and comfortable state for everyone and everything in the home.