Wood furniture represents a significant investment in many homes. To maintain its beauty and help it last, wood furniture needs regular and proper care. Most wood furniture is finished with a fine lacquer or varnish. It has a sheen or gloss—ranging from high to low, depending on the finishing materials the manufacturer has selected. The finish adds to the beauty of the wood and protects it. No finish is totally indestructible, but with regular care it will last much longer, providing years of satisfaction and enjoyment.

General Care Tips

• Dust frequently.
• Use a quality polish. It will lessen your chance of expensive refinishing jobs. Polish approximately once a month.
• Clean up spills immediately. Use a blotting action rather than a wiping action.
• Use a soft, lint-free, absorbent cloth for cleaning and polishing.
• Avoid placing furniture in direct sunlight, as sunlight causes fading.
• Avoid extremes in room humidity. Too high or too low humidity can cause wood to warp or the glue lines to fail.
• Avoid extreme changes in temperature. Arrange furniture away from radiators, registers and air-conditioning units.
• Rotate accessories on furniture so they don't sit in the same spot all of the time.
• Avoid placing plastic or rubber objects on a wood finish, as their ingredients react with those of the finish.
• Use pads, cloth or felt to protect the furniture surface from the plastic, rubber, hot dishes, beverages, bookends, flower pots and vases.
• Use a protective pad when writing with a ballpoint pen.
• Lift and place objects, do not drag them across the furniture surface.
• Make minor repairs when they are still small.
• Use the proper materials or professional help to repair badly damaged surfaces.
• Avoid wax polishes. Regular use of wax polishes may result in the build-up of wax film on the surface of the furniture. This build-up may then pick up dirt, smoke and other pollutants in the air, which may result in smudges and streaks. Used long enough, this may cause the finish to soften, requiring expensive refinishing work. Wax build-up over time hardens, making it difficult to remove from the furniture's finish.
• Avoid silicone polishes. Silicone oil is an ingredient used by many furniture polish makers to create a high degree of shine. Silicone seeps into even the most lacquered finishes, making it difficult to remove. Should it become necessary to refinish a piece of furniture, silicone makes it a very difficult process—even for a professional refinisher. Most furniture manufacturers recommend using polishes that do not contain silicone.

Cleaning Instructions

1. Wood furniture should be dusted as often as needed.
2. Polishing is recommended about once a month. If your furniture is used often, you may want to increase the frequency. However, be aware that over-polishing is the main cause of damaged finishes. Use a soft, lint-free, absorbent cloth and work with the grain of the wood.
3. When using furniture polish for the first time on previously polished furniture, it is necessary to remove old wax and polish. Not taking this step could lead to disappointing results because the natural and organic oils could soften and loosen layers of wax built up over years, leaving a cloudy surface.