Proper care for wooden furniture

The most important points in brief

• To make it cozy at home, we like to surround ourselves with wooden furniture.
• Tables, showcases, cupboards, chairs, shelves: The homely ambience in your own four walls is usually created by presentable furniture made of wood.
• Wood is durable and robust - but how do we properly care for the furniture?
• Care doesn't just mean cleaning. What does it include?

The most popular types of wood that our furniture is made of are oak, beech, maple, spruce, teak, mahogany, birch and walnut, the order is irrelevant in this list. The conscientious care of wood starts with cleaning - and you can go wrong here.

No moisture, no sponges

A damp cloth is ideal for cleaning wood - but not too wet so that the water cannot penetrate the wood and decompose it there. If there is no dirt on the furniture, a completely dry cloth is sufficient to remove the dust. If you need to dampen the cloth, you can add a drop of washing-up liquid with a clear conscience.

On the other hand, you absolutely have to avoid using scouring milk or more aggressive cleaning agents. Such agents first attack the glaze, which protects the wood, and later also the wood itself. This in turn favors the penetration of moisture or fungi and the decomposition of the wood. Microfiber cloths and pot sponges are also unfavorable for cleaning, as they also scratch the surface of the furniture.

Special case of untreated wooden furniture

If your furniture does not have a layer of varnish or glaze, you should not expose it to high humidity or UV radiation. Because the material warps and loses color. You can avoid the problem by ventilating regularly so that the humidity in the room does not become too high.

Curtains and roller blinds are suitable for protection from the sun. If it is unavoidable that the furniture is still often in the sun, then move it around at short intervals. This is how you prevent one-sided color loss. Of course, it is always a good idea to seal the wood with wood wax or wood oil (never use together!).

The maintenance of wooden furniture

As indicated, you can seal and maintain your wooden furniture with wood oil or wood wax for a long time. If you wish, you can easily make the care products yourself, for example from oil, vinegar and salt (mixing ratio approx. 6-6-1) or from turpentine, vinegar and linseed oil varnish (ratio approx. 1-1-1). You can also compose an effective furniture wax from beeswax, turpentine, 15 grated soap, a glass full of marjoram infusion and a few drops of essential oil.

If that is too much effort: no problem. Other common products that are available everywhere are also ideal for caring for wooden furniture. Coconut oil, for example, is a great substance to impregnate the wood on the one hand and to give it a great look on the other. Apply the coconut oil with a soft cloth (preferably made of cotton), let it soak in and then polish again.

If, on the other hand, you discover water stains on the wood, you can carefully polish them off with beeswax or a little vinegar. If the wood is dark, balsamic vinegar is recommended. Furniture made of wood that is untreated, i.e. has no varnish or glaze, is best served if you carefully touch it up with a potash solution and a slightly dampened cloth.