How to Care For Your Fine Wood Furniture

 Many customers ask us how to clean and care for their solid wood furniture.  Please read below for tips from our premier dining room and bedroom manufacturer, Keystone Collections:





Recommended Care Instructions

Control the Environment

Your furniture responds to changes in temperature and humidity by expanding and contracting. Keep the indoor relative humidity in the 35 to 45 percent range to minimize these effects. Ultraviolet light from the sun and fluorescent fixtures can cause chemical changes in the wood and/or finish. Avoid placing furniture in an area where the sun will shine directly on it. Keep furniture away from direct sources of heating and cooling. Avoid storing furniture in an attic or cellar type environment.

Effects of the Environment

If the humidity moves out of the ideal range, solid wood table tops could expand or contract, causing a gap in the center or at the ends where the two halves meet. Uncontrolled humidity conditions can also cause splits or cracks in the grain pattern and joints of the wood panels. These symptoms are the result of an uncontrolled environment and are not considered defective. If the environment is not controlled, these conditions should be appreciated as an inherent characteristic of solid wood.

Avoid Dry Dusting / Wiping

Dust and other normally occurring materials in a house contain tiny abrasive particles, much like fine sandpaper. When removed with a dry cloth, they abrade the finish and cause tiny scratches. The result in time is a changed appearance, particularly in the most used areas. Prevent this problem by using a cloth dampened with polish or a mild detergent. The moistened cloth picks up and holds the dust so it is less likely to scratch the finish.

Protect the Finish

Our products are finished with a premium grade finish which is applied to all our furniture. This conversion varnish is hard, tough and resistant to chips, nicks and scratching. It is also resistant to the following household chemicals:

• Household Ammonia
• Turpentine
• Oil Base Paint
• Citric Acid
• Peroxide
• Latex Emulsion Paint
• Mercurochrome 2%
• Isopropyl Alcohol
• Acetone
• Alcohol
• Water
• Vinegar
• Lemon
• Ketchup
• Grease (cooking fat)
• Olive Oil
• Lipstick
• Nail Polish Remover
• Grape Juice
• Orange Juice
• Milk
• Coffee
• Colas
• Crayons

The temperature of items placed on the finish should not exceed 165 degrees F.

Keep it Clean

Immediately wiping up spills and splashes with a moistened cloth obviously keeps furniture clean; but more importantly, you can easily avoid burdensome cleaning and finish abuse by not allowing the spill to set up or harden. For most routine cleaning, a soft cloth together with warm, soapy water will do the trick. The use of well-formulated cleaning products without abrasives can be effective for those tougher cleaning tasks. If using these products, a follow-up with the warm, soapy water and soft cloth will help extensively.

Easy-Care Products

Avoid polishes that contain silicone or ammonia. Lemon oil or similar polishes may be helpful in caring for your furniture. It can be waxed annually. Be careful to completely clean off old wax before applying a new coat.