Caring for Wood Furniture So It Lasts for Decades

Good wood furniture should outlive the house it's in. It doesn't need fussy care — mostly it needs protection from four things: grit, sunlight, dry air and standing water. Get those right and a dresser or dining table will look better at twenty years old than it did new.

Dust the right way

Dust is fine grit, and wiping it around with a dry cloth slowly scratches the finish. Use a soft, slightly damp microfibre cloth, wipe with the grain, and dry it straight away with a second cloth.

• Skip silicone furniture sprays — they build up a cloudy film and make refinishing harder.
• Once or twice a year, a quality paste wax adds a protective layer on most finishes.
• Check with us first for painted, lacquered or oiled pieces — each likes something different.

Keep it out of the sun

Direct sunlight fades and yellows wood finishes, and it does it unevenly — you'll find the outline of a lamp or a placemat burned into the top years later. Use sheer curtains on the sunniest windows, rotate accessories every few months, and move tablecloths and runners around.

Watch the humidity

Wood moves with the seasons: it swells in humid Ohio summers and shrinks when the furnace dries the air out in January. Big swings are what cause cracks, gaps and sticking drawers.

• Aim for indoor humidity between 35 and 55 percent all year.
• Keep wood pieces a few feet from heating vents, radiators and fireplaces.
• A humidifier in winter helps your furniture — and your skin.

Stop water before it starts

Coasters, placemats and trivets are the cheapest insurance in the house. Water left standing — from a sweating glass or a vase — gets under the finish and leaves a white ring. Heat from a pan leaves a white haze for the same reason.

1. 1Blot spills immediately; don't let them sit.
2. 2For a fresh white ring, a hairdryer on low, held a few inches away, often draws the moisture out.
3. 3Dark rings mean water reached the wood itself — call a refinisher rather than sanding it yourself.

Little habits that add years

• Lift lamps and decor to move them; don't drag them.
• Use felt pads under anything that sits on a wood top.
• Open drawers by both pulls on wide dressers to keep them square.
• Tighten table and chair bolts once a year — wood relaxes over time.
• Use a cutting board, never the table, for crafts and homework with blades.

Want to see how a finish will look in your space? Try white oak, walnut, ash, espresso and cherry on any piece in the Design Studio — then come see the real grain in person.