Due to its level of durability and the elegant look it offers, so many people have wooden dining tables in their homes. The fact is almost everyone has one or more wooden furniture in their home, but the maintenance aspect of this wooden furniture is what almost everyone struggles with. This is why we have brought you this interesting article on how to protect wooden dining table that will show you easy steps to follow on maintaining its elegant look.
These steps will also make sure your wooden dining table last long, and you need to have it in mind that there are certain factors or elements that your wooden dining table should be protected against. They are dust, weather, scratches, direct sunlight, and many more, and failure to protect your wooden dining table from these elements means your wooden dining table will lose its elegance and durability. Its lifespan will be cut short totally.
When a wooden dining table loses its lifespan and elegant appearance, it will end up looking down. This is not what you want the piece of furniture in your home to look like, and the aim of this article is to help you figure out ways that can help you maintain and protect wooden dining tables. Surprisingly, most people are of the opinion that protecting a wooden dining table is a difficult task, but the steps you have to take are far from being difficult.
These steps are very easy and would not take away so much of your time. All that is required is carrying out these steps regularly, and trust these steps to keep your wooden dining shape in the best possible shape. Having a solid and reliable wooden dining table isn’t just resilient and practical, but the wooden furniture will last for a long time while retaining its beautiful appearance when it is properly cared for.
If your dining or kitchen table is made out of wood then this post is for you, and the fact that wood is one of the most common materials used in making this sort of furniture means that so many of you reading this right now have come for the same thing, which is to find out the major steps that can be taken to make them last longer and maintain their shiny appearance. One thing we want you to know is wooden dining tables or furniture are easy to take care of.
Cleaning and protecting your wooden dining table is something that you can do by yourself, meaning you do not have to be a professional or need to employ a professional to get it done for you. You do not need extra skills or experience to clean and protect your wooden dining table, and the materials that can be used in protecting and cleaning are materials that you already have around you. The materials you will make use of during cleaning are;
- A liquid wash soap
- Two microfiber cleaning cloths
- Small bowl
How To Protect Wooden Dining Table
Below are instructions that you need to follow when cleaning a wooden dining table or furniture
- Make use of a damp microfiber cloth in wiping off the table, and the purpose for doing this is to remove crime, crumbs, and dust that might be stuck on the table.
- In some cases, a wooden table might have sticky spots on it. If this is the scenario you are dealing with then all you have to do is add one or two drops of dish soap inside a bowl of water, and use the damp microfiber cloth to dip inside the solution and wipe off the sticky area on the table. Make sure you check if the solution is strong or reliable enough to get rid of the sticky area on the dining table.
- Drying the table is the last step for you to take, so you can make use of a dry microfiber cloth is cleaning off the water on the wooden table.
A point we want you to note is there are sticky spots on wooden furniture that can be very stubborn, and you can try out cleaning such areas with mineral spots inside of using soap and water. Also make sure the room you are working in has good ventilation, and you can also consider talking to an expert if the sticky stain doesn’t go off after using mineral spirits. Talking to an expert is actually a rare situation as mineral spirits gets the job done most times.
Whats The Best Finish For Dining Room Tables?
If you are yet to apply one on your wooden dining table then i advise you go ahead and apply a finish on your wooden table, and you might be wondering why applying a finish on a wooden table is so important. The answer is applying a finish is very important as it offers wooden surface protecting against cracking and drying, and making use of polyurethane finish is recommended for everyone. Is it okay to use oil based or water based polyurethane?
This is another question you might be struggling with but both polyurethane types has its own pros and cons. Oil based polyurethane has the tendency of turning wood color to amber hue, while water based polyurethane is known for preserving the natural color of wood. Applying polyurethane finish on a wooden table is another easy step that you can carry out yourself without having to employ the services of a professional.
Steps On Protecting Wooden Dining Tables
Using Dry Wood
Wood is considered as a porous material, and that means exposing wood to excess humidity, moisture, or water is going to have a negative effect on wood. Curing and seasoning wood in the right environment is the right step to take if you want to protect wood from warping, swelling, and cracking in arid or humid environment, but any wood bought at a lumber store should come already seasoned. Asking if it is seasoned or not is a wise thing to do.
Wood joints and table end up swelling if you live in a humid region, but one way to prevent this is by making use of a dehumidifier. Using well aged and dried wood in humid environment shouldn’t be much of a problem for anyone, but wood also tends to dry out and crack if you live in a very dry environment. Make sure a humidifier is used in this situation to keep temperature well controlled.
Prevent Scratches
Having a basket or dish on the table where you and the rest of the family can store keys, toys, pens, and any other sharp object is one of the easiest ways of preventing scratches from happening on wood. Make sure you make use of felt pads if you have centerpiece, candlesticks, or flower vase on your table, and also have it in mind that dusting your table weekly can also prevent scratches from your wooden furniture. Dust accumulation causes small scratches.
Prevent Direct Sunlight
One thing people do not know about sunlight is it tends to have a negative effect on the appearance of your wood, so protecting your wood against sunlight is another crucial step you should consider taking if you want your wooden furniture to last long. Wood tends to fade quickly when it is constantly being exposed to direct sunlight, so making use of a tablecloth or drawing the curtains to avoid penetration of sunlight on wood is very important.
Prevent Water Rings
When you fail to pay attention to your wooden dining table, water rings is what you have to put up with or trying solving. This is a common mistake that happens in almost every home as we put a glass of water on the table without making use of a coaster, and water rings tends to appear as a result of condensation that runs from the glass cup. It is very essential that you make use of coasters for your family and for your guests.
There are other solutions you can try out when preventing water rings, and this includes the use of place mats, table runners, and tablecloths. On the other hand, you can also make use of vinegar in eliminating water ring marks already present on your wooden table, and this involves mixing olive oil and vinegar while using a soft damp cloth to dip inside the solution and wipe the water ring marks on the table. Clean up the table using another soft clean cloth.
Conclusion – How To Protect Wooden Dining Table
If you already own a wooden table or you intend owning one very soon, these are the steps you need to pay attention to to ensure your wooden dining table maintains its shiny, elegant, and long lifespan. Your wooden dining table or any other piece of wooden furniture in your home will last long if all of these steps are adhered to, but we will advise you to be very patient and give these steps some time to get the results you desire.
You can tell us about your experience and what you also think after trying out these steps in the comment section.