Wooden items are precious possessions that can last a lifetime with the proper care and maintenance tips. Wood might be a highly durable material, but it’s prone to damage, especially when it’s not treated adequately. So if you want to save your wooden furniture, utensils, organizers, and other items for future generations, you have to educate yourself about adequate wood care. Aside from the regular wood cleaners, there are a few other tricks and tips we wanted to share that will preserve the stunning look of your wood items.

4 Valuable Tips For Taking Care Of Wood Items

How to care for wooden gifts, and what does regular maintenance include? The four tips we listed below will ensure that your precious possessions look their best at all times.

Sunscreen

Sunscreen might not be your first choice for taking care of your wood furniture and items, but it will become a trick up your sleeve. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you’ll really apply SPF (don’t ever do that), but you should take all the measures you can to protect your wood items from sun exposure.

Start by installing window treatments, blinds, or shades, and keep them closed to prevent the sun rays from getting to wood items in your home. When that’s not an option, you can use clean cloths to cover the furniture.

The next thing that can block sunlight is applying a sealant. This technique will create a coat on the wood surface that will protect the material from fading. For this purpose, you can use varnish, lacquer, or polyurethane.


Oiling

Did you know that the oil and wax method will help you take care of the wood surfaces and prolong the life of your wood items? Of course, nothing beats a lustrous oil finish, and thankfully you can achieve it by applying oils once or twice a year. Some of the most common ones include jojoba oil, Danish oil, mineral oil. The technique consists of oiling the item, waiting for a while, then buffing the surface with a soft cloth.

A common question we get is, ‘Can you use mink oil on wood?’ Although mink oil is an excellent alternative for leather items, you should stick to the ones we mentioned above when working with wood.

If you want to achieve a gorgeous antique look and a fabulous finish, you should try the hand rub technique with oils. This method delivers a beautiful mirror-like reflective surface and brings out the rich grain of the wood. One of the best choices for a hand-rubbing wood finish is tung oil, but you can also try linseed oil.

Waxing

Waxing is another maintenance step you shouldn’t skip. One of the most basic wood care rules is to wax your items twice a year. This applies to all the wood items, including your coin stand, desk organizer, baseball bats, etc.

The procedure is quite simple; all you need is wax and dry soft cloths. Start by then dusting the wood to prevent scratches. If you don’t dust, particles on the surface can cause scratches while you buff the wood with the wax product. Finally, prepare the surface with #0000 steel wool and wipe it with a cloth.

After applying a coat of wax on the surface with microfiber cloths, you should use circular motions to achieve the best result. Then, all you need to do is dip the tip of the cloth in the product and add a thin layer because excess wax can be hard to work with. When you’re done with covering the entire item, wait for half an hour until the wax is dry. Some wax types might need more time, while others will be dry within minutes. The best thing you can do is leave the item/furniture in a well-ventilated room. The final step of this journey is buffing it with a clean cloth until it’s shiny.


Wiping

Even though you might not see the dust on a wooden surface, it sure is there. To keep the wood clean, you should wipe dust weekly with a microfiber cloth and a gentle wood cleaner. Since these particles can build a film on the surface, you’ll easily notice that it’s not clean. Also, if you don’t wipe wood regularly, these particles can scratch the wood surface.

How To Clean Wood Items Properly- Best Dusting Tools

Proper wood cleaning starts with dusting. Just like you dust the rest of your furniture, you should dust your wood furniture and items. However, if you don’t practice this step regularly, dust and particles will accumulate on the wooden surface and can scratch and damage it.

Some of the best dusting tools include:

  • Soft microfiber cloth
  • Cotton T-shirt
  • Feather duster
  • Lamb’s wool duster
  • Treated non-scratching cloths
  • Cloth diaper

How To Apply Furniture Paste Wax In The Right Way

If you want your DIY waxing session to be successful, you need to learn how to apply the wax. The first tip is to use circular movements to prevent streaks. In addition, remove all the extra wax using a towel or a cloth. Finally, when applying the wax, follow the wood grain.  You shouldn’t let the paste stay too long before buffing it because the wax will become too hard to work with.

How To Deep Clean-Wood Items Without Damaging Them

Deep-cleaning wood is much simpler than it sounds. This procedure will help you remove all the surface buildup and grime that can alter the wood’s appearance. Grab a gentle oil soap, then mix a few drops of the soap with water. Dampen a cloth with the solution and clean your items/furniture. When dealing with a bigger mess, you can use mineral spirits on a clean cloth.

How To Deal With Surface Scratches

Unfortunately, even the hardest natural wood can show signs of damage, scratches, and dents. If these are minor scratches, you can try fixing them with paste wax, iodine, rub them with mineral oil and pumice, cover them with a touch-up pen,

Deeper scratches are more challenging to deal with. They require more work and a more detailed approach. Your best bet is to get a wood filler to fill the scratch completely, then sand it and seal it.


Conclusion

Taking care and maintaining wood gifts isn’t as complicated as it sounds once you go over the basic steps and tricks to use. Aside from weekly dusting and wiping, you should also wax wooden items at least twice a year and oil them for a shiny finish.