Furniture
Care
FIRST AID FOR SOLID WOOD
Genuine wood furniture is built to last a lifetime or several lifetimes. With a
little tender loving care, you can create family heirlooms that can be handed down to the
family for generations.
HINTS TO HELP PRESERVE
YOUR SOLID WOOD FURNITURE:
-Keep relative humidity in your home at 25 to 35 percent.
-Try not to place furniture directly in front of radiators, fireplaces,
or direct sunlight.
-Keep table leaves as close as possible to the table so that the table leaves are
adjusting to the same relative humidity as the table.
MAINTAINING YOUR FINE
FURNITURE WITH LOVING CARE:
-Dust with a soft cloth by following the grain pattern
of the wood. Use an old t-shirt, baby diaper, or cheesecloth.
-Dust often to remove everyday abrasive particles from wood surfaces. Before
dusting, place a few drops of orange oil on a cloth. A dry cloth can leave hairline
scratches on the finish.
-Wood finishes benefit from an occasional polishing or oiling. During the very dry
weather, it is good to feed your wood furniture with an oil, which contains no
distillants. On a varnish or urethane finish, a very small quantity of oil
should be used.
-Avoid waxing urethane-finished furniture. Waxing can cause dust and dirt to
gather rather than repel it.
SIMPLE GUIDE TO REPAIRS
-Scratch and Nicks:
Dark Wood or Stain - Fill scratches with shoe polish that
matches the lightest shade of the finish, or rub with walnut or brazil nut meat in the
direction of the scratch. A child's crayon or felt-tipped marker can also be used.
Cherry - Fill scratches with cordovan or reddish shoe polish that matches the wood, or
apply darkened iodine with a cotton swab.
Light Wood or Stain - Fill scratches with a tan or natural shoe polish,
or apply darkened iodine diluted 50 percent with denatured alcohol.
Note: Special remedies are required by today's high-performance finishes
and some of the remedies could result in damage. If you are unsure, you should call
a professional refinisher. Also, always test your remedy in a small, inconspicuous,
hidden area first.
STAINS AND
TROUBLESHOOTING
Water marks & rings - Sometimes, water rings are
in the wax, not the finish. Cover the stain with a clean, thick blotter, press down
with a warm iron, and repeat. Or rub with mineral oil or white toothpaste.
Wipe dry and polish.
White marks - Rub with a cloth dipped in a mixture of cigarette ashes and mineral oil.
Milk or Alcohol: Use your fingers to rub liquid or paste wax into the
stain. Or rub in a paste of boiled linseed oil and rottenstone with the grain,
substituting pumice for dull finishes. Or rub with ammonia on a dampened cloth.
Wipe dry and polish.
Cigarette burns (light) - Rub with a paste of linseed oil and rottenstone and work with
the grain until the burn mark disappears.
Heat Marks - Rub gently along the grain, using a dry steel wool soap pad or a cloth
dampened with camphorated oil or mineral spirits, or rub gently along the grain with
extra-fine (0000) steel wool. Wipe clean and polish.
Nail Polish - Blot the spill immediately, then rub with fine still wool (0000)
dipped in wax. Wipe dry and polish.
Sticking paper - Dampen the paper thoroughly with mineral oil, wait five minutes and rub
along the grain with (0000) steel wool. Wipe dry and polish.
Wax or gum - Harden the substance by holding an ice cube wrapped in cloth against it, then
use your fingernail or plastic credit card to remove it. Rub the area with (0000)
steel wool dipped in mineral spirits. Wipe dry and polish.
Sticking drawers - Rub a candle or wax along the drawer runners or guides.
IDENTICAL TREES DO NOT GROW
Differences in color and grain are natural
characteristics produced by nature in all woods. They create the beauty and interest
found in all fine woods. They also make it possible to distinguish between the real
grain and color and the artificial. Only the artificial will be perfectly uniform
in color and grain.
These differences in "nature" (texture and grain) affect the finish. You
cannot eliminate variable.
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