There is something truly special about living room, dining room, and bedroom furniture made from wood. For its weight, wood is one of the strongest materials known to man. Wood is a natural product; just as each tree is unique, each piece of wood furniture is different in depth of color, richness of texture, and pattern of the grain. Quality wood home furniture in your living room, dining room, or bedroom provides warmth and creates a rich, elegant ambience while offering gentle, lasting comfort. If properly cared for, wood furniture develops its own patina, or surface appearance, of softness and mellowness, and increases in value with age.

Your home’s wood furniture can be made from hardwoods, softwoods, or a combination of both. Hardwoods, such as oak, ash, maple, cherry, and poplar, come from broad-leafed, deciduous trees that produce a fruit or nut and become dormant in the winter months. Softwoods, such as pine, cedar, hemlock, redwood, and spruce, are harvested from needle-leafed, coniferous trees, which produce cones and are typically evergreens. Hardwoods are used for all types of living room, dining room, and bedroom furniture, flooring, and kitchen cabinetry. Although softwoods are typically used as structural lumber (for commercially available 2-by-4’s, for example, or in frames for upholstered sofas and chairs), they’re sometimes used for decorative applications as well.

Cleaning is very important for preserving the value of the wood furniture in your living room, dining room, and bedroom. As you would wash a car before polishing it, you should clean your wood before you polish it. Although you don’t see most dirt and soil on wood, it builds up just as it does on mirrors, a stove, or windows. This buildup may consist of oily or greasy film from heating and cooking, creosote from a fireplace, or just plain dust. Cleaning removes these contaminants so they don’t get ground into the finish and into the wood. To avoid the damaging effects of buildup, horizontal surfaces such as tabletops and desktops should be cleaned and polished monthly. Vertical surfaces should be cleaned every eight weeks.

Choose a wood furniture cleaning product that fits within the parameters outlined by the furniture manufacturer. If you’re not sure what product to use, contact either the furniture manufacturer or the merchant where the furniture was purchased for more information. Be sure to follow the instructions carefully, and test the product in an inconspicuous area before application. Beware of products that contain a high percentage of silicone oil. Silicone-based wood cleaners can seep through the original finish and cause permanent damage to the wood furniture in your living room, dining room, or bedroom over time.