It is to be noted that all kinds of wood furniture is usually coated with a plasticized film which is known as finish. The finish seals and protects the wood from moisture, dirt and regular use. There are different types of finishes applied on wooden furniture and proper care should be taken to maintain that finish. Here are a few tips that can be followed to take care of wooden furniture kept in a home, office, storehouse or a showroom.

Cleaning and dusting
Cleaning and dusting your wood furniture regularly will remove the build up of grease, lint and dust and help in maintaining the value of your fine furnishings. Even a small layer of dust can create scratches in your finish, eventually exposing the wood to further damage. Use a soft cloth to dust regularly. Dampen the cloth a little so that it traps the dust instead of sending it airborne. Never use multi-purpose cleaners as these may not be suitable for the finish on fine furniture.

Polishing
Besides regular cleaning and dusting, wooden furniture needs to be polished once in a while. A quick and easy way for this is to apply oil on the surface by using a rag dipped in oil. This will give a quick, shiny look. However the best option is to apply wax. Either you can apply liquid wax or paste wax. While the liquid waxes create a surface coating on the wood that makes the dust slide off the furniture, it doesn't last as long as paste wax. Paste wax is a hard wax. Waxing should be done in small circular motions and rub it into the surface of the wood. The harder the wax is, the more protection it will give to your furniture. Once you've applied a good wax coat, it should last atleast for a year or two depending on how much the piece is used.

Small Scratches should be repaired
It is very essential to repair immediately small scratches. This can be done using wax stick found at the local hardware store. Get the one that most closely matches the color of your wood and apply wax in the scratch. The wax will help protect the wood and the color will hide the scratch. The colored wax should be applied heavily so that it matches the scratch's depth and a flat surface is created again.

Seasonal care
Depending on the type of wood used and the finish applied on it, the wooden furniture should be properly treated by varnishing, waxing, polishing, oiling, lacquering using the help of experts. This should be done atleast once a year or two when your entire furniture set requires a make over.

Some helpful tips

• Keep wooden furniture out of direct sunlight.
• Avoid placing wooden furniture close to air conditioning vents, heating vents, fireplace, stoves.
• Always use placemats, tablecloths, coasters to protect furniture during use.
• Instead of sliding items across furniture surfaces, lift and place them.
• Rotate decorative pieces on your furniture periodically.
• Do not use plastic and rubber items on your furniture for a long time.

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