Cleaning and Stain Removal - Wood Furniture Care

Over the years we have purchase several quality pieces of wood furniture. I recall one sales associate telling us that wood needs nothing other than a soft clean cloth for dusting.

Problem with that is that some table tops have begun looking tired. I have tried Orange Glo wood polish/cleaner occasionally on a couple of table tops. Love the look it gives immediately following but am concerned about build-up over time. Should wood furniture be polished occasionally? How often and what brand do you recommend?


Thank you for any advice you can share.

Shannon

The furniture store was correct in telling you that all you need to do is dust. Damp dusting with a few drops of water on the dust rag collects dust and helps prevent dust particles from scratching finish. Most furniture finishes today are lacquer. The type of finish usually dictates the type of care. As your furniture store told you to simply dust, one must assume that you have lacquer finish.

Avoid products that contain oil which can dull and soften finishes over time. Avoid products that contain silicone which can build up over time. If in doubt and label does not inidicate silicone content, call customer service number on the label. Many of the popular spray polishes contain silicone.

Avoid cleaners and polishes that contain solvents that may damage lacquer finish. Always test first in inconspicuous area. Many antique collectors recommend Guardsman polish for furniture because it contains wax to provide a protective coating.

Opinions tend to vary on what is the proper care of furniture finish. The store shelves are overloaded with a variety of products. Know your finish and know what is in the cleaner/polish.

A helpful link: http://www.parsonsfurniture.com/FurnitureCare.htm

Thanks for the reply. It is impossible to know what type of finish I have for all the different pieces around the house. Some have a thick laquer look. Others, more of a thin matte look. Guess I'll just stick to the barely damp dust routine with an occasional polish on some table top surfaces used often. I'll check out the link you offered.

Shannon

It depends on where you live. In dry climates you may need to add oils or other penetrating "feed" to keep the wood from cracking. Hubby's oil-finished acoustic guitar looks horrible until it's been re-oiled, then it looks very happy! Found similar results with the few wood pieces we have.