Furniture Care

Like all things in the house you wooden furniture is subject to wear and tear over a period of time. Therefore you must take care of your wooden furniture regularly. Many times we are careless with the way we use the furniture at home. This can result in stains and scratches on the furniture. Waxes can buildup on the furniture as well. There are ways in which stains, waxes and scratches can be removed and prevented. Here are a few tips on how to do the same.

• The oil from our skin and the food we eat gets on to the furniture. This oil attracts dirt, especially on parts of the furniture that we frequently touch. Using a detergent to wash of the oil and dirt can affect the finish on the furniture.
• To get rid of wax use mineral spirits or naphtha as a cleaning agent. Dip a soft rag or very soft steel wool in mineral spirit and rub gently on the affected area.
• Sometimes the wax that has built up on the furniture can soften the wood. If this has happened then cleaning it with spirit can leave you with bare wood.
• If you feel that the finish has been damaged, the best thing to do would be to stripe the wood and refinish it.
• To hide a light scratch on the furniture use padding lacquer. Take a soft cloth and fold the corners so that the center becomes a ball. Apply padding lacquer to this pad and tap on your palm to spread the lacquer through the pad. Apply the pad on the furniture in the direction of the grain. Use one smooth, gentle movement while applying lacquer. Allow the lacquer to dry and reapply if needed. Do not over do it, as you may have to redo the whole piece.
• You can use polishing compounds to remove light scratches. These compounds are best used on furniture that has high gloss sheen.
• If furniture with satin or dull sheen has a scratch, take soft steel wool pad and dip it in lemon oil or wool lubricant. Rub the pad on the scratch in the direction of the grain. This will work on minor scratches. You may have to rub the rest of the surface to make the sheen even. Wipe off the extra oil and apply polish you like.

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