Care of furniture

Furniture in the house we change not often, but antique furniture made of precious woodand objects of applied art pass from generation to generation. The charm of furniture made of natural wood is undeniable - such interior items are always in fashion, and careful care of furniture will ensure its durability.

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Caring for furniture from natural wood - basic rules

Among the variety of household chemicals, furniture care products occupy only a small part, but nobody calls into question the need for this product. Wooden furniture is very sensitive to changes in air humidity, exposure to sunlight and any temperature changes.

To maintain the beauty and durability of interior items, we recommend that you observe the following rules:

1. Furniture must be used in accordance with its functional purpose.
2. Do not place the headset closer than one meter from heaters and other heat sources.
3. The air temperature in the apartment should not be below +15 C, and the relative humidity - 65%.
4. Assemble the furniture in full accordance with the assembly diagrams( drawings).If necessary, to assemble complex products, involve qualified specialists.
5. Protect the surroundings and their components against any mechanical damage.
6. During operation, do not exert excessive force when opening doors, drawers and other moving parts.
7. Proper operation of the moving parts is ensured by adjusting the hinges and lubricating the guide rails with paraffin or a similar non-corrosive agent.
8. Transport the headset in disassembled form only.
9. For the care of furniture, use special cleaning and polishing agents.

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Features of wooden furniture

Wood is a porous material that has the ability to absorb and return moisture. At sharp changes in the moisture level, the furniture either swells or crumbles, which may be indicated by poorly closing doors or, with difficulty, a chest drawer. In addition, the wood is split, cracks appear on it and, in the end, it can be threatened with wood insects.

If you provide proper care for the wooden furniture, then it will last you long enough and will be able to please your grandchildren.

Adhere to the following care tips:

1. Ensure that the sun does not get on the furniture from the wood, as they can change the color of the wood, whitish stains and stains appear on the headset, and polishing may crack.
2. Do not store furniture in rooms with a damp floor, or in an attic or garage.
3. Protect furniture from spilled liquids and heat from hot cups, glasses, plates. Use stands and trays.
4. Make sure that the water from the flower vase is not spilled on the headset. Spill the liquid immediately with a paper towel or a soft cloth.
5. Do not leave wet things and rags on the wooden surface, as the furniture does not tolerate humidity.
6. Do not allow paint and other chemicals to come into contact with the furniture.
7. Regularly wipe dust on the headset with a soft cloth dampened with an antistatic agent.
8. When wiping dust, do not move, but lift objects on the surface to avoid scratching the polish.
9. Raise the furniture for its strongest part. For example, a table - for the legs, an armchair - behind the seat. Do not pull furniture on the floor, if you want to move this or that object. This weakens the legs.
10. When choosing a product for the care of wooden furniture, pay attention to the coating( type of varnish) of the surface.
11. For painted surfaces, use a neutral cleaner that does not contain solvents.
12. Do not use polishing remover more than 3-4 times per year, because an excess of protective substances can cause the appearance of a film on the surface, which will be difficult to dispose of.
13. Use a pasty wax to mask small cracks.

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Means for care of furniture

For the care of wooden furniture, three types of products are produced.

Polishing

The principle of this tool for the care of wooden furniture - polishing the surface. Periodic processing of polishes will help to preserve the furniture of its original appearance. Produce polishes in two versions: aerosols or cream. Such furniture products are made on the basis of oils and include other components that give such a cleaning effect:

1. Polishes easily remove impurities and give a shine to the surface.
2. Filling with a microcrack, the polish restores and aligns the structure of the material.
3. Many tools add to their main function and the quality of antistatic.
4. Most of the polishes contain fragrances that give the furniture not only a shine, but also a pleasant aroma.
5. Using these tools, you protect the headset from exposure to dust, sunlight, water, as well as greasy and dirty fingerprints.

Important! Choose a polish with the material from which the surface is made. For example, for lacquer surfaces, a special polish is required, which does not dry the material, and for universal lacquered furniture, universal means are also suitable.

Wax-based products

The purpose of these products is not only to remove impurities and gloss, but also to form a protective film of wax on the surface.

Wax-based products protect the wooden surface from water, create an anti-static coating, protect against mechanical damage and give a matte finish to the treated products.

Important! Such tools for the care of wooden furniture can be used on top of polish or instead. For example, liquid wax should be applied to a clean surface for optimum results. For this, the surface is cleaned with a cleaner, and the wax is applied with a clean soft cloth and left for a few minutes, after which it is necessary to polish the surface with a little effort with a clean soft cloth.

Dry Cleaning Tools

This product removes dust very well and removes static electricity from the varnish layer. Basically, the means for dry cleaning have the appearance of polishing cloths. In the absence of special means, you can use a flannel dry rag, and for carved furniture - a soft round brush.

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Traditional furniture care products

There are a lot of means for caring for wooden furniture in household chemistry stores, but natural, environmentally friendly products are quite expensive and do not always have the opportunity to buy them. In addition, some synthetic products can cause irritation of the respiratory tract, allergies and other unpleasant symptoms. Therefore, we offer you a few folk recipes for the care of interior items, which are absolutely safe and give an equally effective cleaning result.

Composition No. 1

This environmentally friendly product is suitable for all types of wood, including laminate.

For the preparation of the composition you will need:

• Vegetable oil - 2 parts;
• Lemon juice - 1 part.

Important! You can use any, even late oil.

Usage:

1. Prepare the mixture and pour it into a bottle with a spray.
2. Apply the product on a napkin and wipe the surface to be treated.
3. Wipe the wooden surface dry with a dry napkin.

Composition No. 2

If the first composition seems too greasy for you, then prepare the following mixture:

• Table vinegar - ¼ st.;
• Vegetable oil - a few drops.

The method of use is the same as with the above-described means for caring for wooden furniture.

Composition No. 3

This product can be used for polishing and additional protection of furniture. Turpentine will clean the furniture, and the wax will add extra shine, protection and a pleasant smell.

You will need:

• Beeswax - 50 g;
• Turpentine - 140g.

Finely chop the wax and mix with turpentine.

Important! Use this composition is not necessary often( 1-2 times a year).Processing the composition can be and untreated wood. It is better to do this at night, so that the agent can be absorbed and dried.

Composition No. 4

This product is effective for untreated surfaces, especially kitchen surfaces, because often kitchens use wooden countertops that require more private and thorough care.

To prepare the product you will need:

• Walnut oil - 1 part;Flaxseed oil - 1 part;
• Essential oil( citrus) - 1-2 drops;
• Beeswax - 1 part.

Important! Melt the beeswax, and then mix all the ingredients. Shake well before use.

Composition No. 5

This product is one of the best for care of untreated wood or street furniture. This composition will provide the highest level of protection compared to the effect that conventional vegetable oil gives.

For the preparation of the product you will need:

• Mineral oil - 1 glass;
• Lemon( or other) oil - 1 teaspoon.

Useful advices:

• If the furniture is old and lost its luster, then it can be revived with the help of tea. Brew a couple of tea bags in a saucepan. When he is infused, soak a napkin in a drink, squeeze well and wipe the surface to be treated.
• If the furniture has a whitish stain after hot objects, use the following: mix salt and vegetable oil in the same parts. Apply the compound to the stain, leave it for a few hours. Then - remove the mixture, wipe the surface with a clean dry cloth.
• Kerosene cleans and removes stains from polished and varnished surfaces.
• For the care of furniture, you can prepare the following composition: boil a piece of wax in a glass of beer. A soft cloth soak in a warm composition and apply the product on the varnished furniture with a thin layer. After the compound has dried, wipe the surface with a dry rag of wool.

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Restoration of wooden furniture

Furniture made of wood requires special attention. It is necessary not only to remove dust and pollution from the surface, but also to monitor the timely protection of the material from the harmful influence of external factors.

The most natural and effective way to protect wood is oil. Impregnated with oil, the tree becomes moisture-resistant, acquires a beautiful shade. Oils not only create a protective layer on the surface of the tree, but, absorbed into the structure, protect it from the inside.

Important! For the treatment of wooden surfaces use:

• Tung oil. The oil treated wood becomes resistant to moisture, gets matte color.
• Teak Oil. Used to produce a glossy effect.
• Danish oil. It is used to protect wooden products, gives the furniture a matte shade.
• Furniture made of mahogany is refreshed by rubbing with burdock oil.

Repair mastic

For the restoration of furniture and the elimination of minor scratches apply mastic for furniture. Due to its composition, it masks the flaws and gives the products a soft gloss. The composition of the mastic may include: beeswax or wax of the Brazilian carnauba palm, as well as colorants, solvents. On sale there is a polishing mastic of both light and dark shade. Therefore, you can choose the perfect tone for your object, which has lost its attractiveness.

Important! Apply the mastic strictly according to the instructions, having previously thoroughly cleaned the surface.

Folk remedies for removing scratches and cracks.

. If scratches or cracks are very large, it is better to relate furniture not to specialists. They will clean up, polish, polish, and if necessary - paint the material again or apply a varnish. If the problem is small, try to cope with it at home. You can use such tools for the care of wooden furniture:

• On products made of oak, walnut, mahogany, scratches can be painted over with a weak solution of iodine.
• Remove stains from oak furniture with ash from cigarettes mixed with a few drops of vegetable oil.
• Wipe nuts with a mixture of olive oil and red wine 1: 1.
• To scratch scratches or cracks, apply mayonnaise gently on the damaged area, leave overnight. The wood will swell, due to which the crack will close.
• Make sure that you can not see the small scratches you can with the help of a normal walnut. Several times rub the damaged area with a peeled nut, making a break between the procedures. Walnut oil will absorb into the structure of the wood, level the tone of the entire surface and the damage will not be more noticeable.

We hope that your wooden furniture, thanks to our advice and recommendations for care, will last a long time, and you will give it as a legacy to your great-grandchildren.