Wood is a living material that continues to work even after processing. One becomes aware of the constant activity above all in houses in which the natural material is installed in stairs, hallways, walls or floors. Especially at night, when everything is quiet, you can often hear the wood creaking. A natural acoustic sign that reveals to us that the material breathes and lives. In addition, it also beguiles the eye of the beholder with its unique beauty. It is littered with ramifications and grains, making each piece unique. Regular care is required to ensure that the material does not lose its character. But what is meant by solid wood and what should be considered when caring for it?
What is solid wood?
The term "solid wood" is subject to a very strict standard in the furniture industry. Wooden furniture can therefore only be described as "solid" if all parts, with the exception of the drawer bottoms and the back wall, are made of solid wood and are not veneered.
This means: If you are flirting with a chest of drawers made of solid chestnut wood, for example, the piece of furniture will consist entirely of chestnut. Only non-visible parts such as support rails, drawer bottoms and the back wall of the chest of drawers may be made of a different type of wood.
Why is the care of solid wood furniture so important?
Natural or solid wood furniture has a special look and feel. They are also considered extremely robust and do not fall apart after the first move. Nevertheless, one must never forget that they are in constant exchange with their environment and adapt to the local conditions. For this reason, the natural material reacts accordingly to a wide variety of environmental circumstances. These are:
- changes in humidity
- Direct sunlight
- Steady temperature fluctuations
- heat and drought
- dust and wear and tear
- Nicotine and fat deposits
The fact is: Without the right treatment, the natural material would quickly lose its natural character. With the perfect care, however, you can counteract the decay.
Cleaning natural & solid wood furniture: you should pay attention to this!
So that you can enjoy your high-quality wooden furniture for a lifetime, you should give it the necessary attention. Because sharp-edged, damp or hot objects can damage them and leave unsightly marks. To prevent this from happening, you should consider the following things:
Wooden furniture: remove dust regularly
All you need to remove dust particles is a dry or slightly damp cotton cloth. Good to know: You should avoid using microfiber cloths when cleaning wood. As good as they are at cleaning and caring for other materials such as glass or stainless steel, they are rather unsuitable for wooden surfaces because they cause small scratches on the material and damage the sensitive care layer over time.
Wooden furniture: Remove light soiling
You can get rid of light dirt with a sustainable wood cleaner such as the Emma Grün cleaner for natural wood . To do this, simply put the product on a woolen cloth or a soft sponge, wipe over the wood surface and light soiling is gone. Then all you have to do is rub the wood dry.
If your solid furniture has been waxed or oiled, we recommend that you then polish it with a fleece and a sustainable oil or wax. With varnished wood, your wood is already protected against external influences and no further treatment is necessary after cleaning.
Wooden furniture: Remove heavy soiling
If the dirt is so severe that simple cleaning is not enough, you can use fine sandpaper to eliminate the blemish. Afterwards, the natural material has to be treated again with a suitable wood furniture polish or a sustainable wax. But be careful: This only works with waxed or oiled furniture. This does not work with varnished wood!
The right care of solid wood: Sustainable oils and waxes work in depth!
Real wood not only has to be cleaned regularly: it also requires constant care. To ensure that your wooden furniture retains its natural appearance, you should treat heavily used surfaces such as tables made of solid wood with a sustainable furniture oil or wax at least once a month. They provide perfect protection and prevent moisture from penetrating the natural material.
For wooden surfaces that are less stressed, such as those of solid wood beds, a treatment once or twice a year is completely sufficient. As already mentioned, the procedure for oiling and waxing is very simple. These tips will help you:
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It is always best to clean and care for wooden surfaces with natural oils and waxes. Because synthetically manufactured products can damage the surfaces and lead to discoloration.
- You should avoid using microfiber cloths when caring for the wood. They can cause scratches!
- Oils or waxes must always be applied in the direction of the wood grain. This also applies when removing excess care.
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Make sure the environment has perfect humidity. The following applies here: If the room climate is too dry, the air should be humidified. You can use electric humidifiers for this. If, on the other hand, the room climate is too humid, there is a risk that the natural material will warp. To prevent this, you should ventilate regularly.
Water stains on wood: How to get rid of them with simple household remedies!
The best preventative measure to prevent water stains on natural wood is to use coasters. If the mishap has already happened and unsightly stains are spreading on your table surface, there is only one thing left to do: the right treatment!
Remove water stains from the wood using a hair dryer
A simple home remedy to remove the ugly rings on the wood surface is to treat it with a hair dryer. Make sure that the exiting air is not too hot. You should also have some patience with this application. But it's worth it: After a while, the water will evaporate due to the warm air and the stain will disappear.
Light water stains: Light water stains, which are milky in color, have moisture on the surface of the material and are easier to remove than dark stains.
Dark water stains: The water has already penetrated the wood. This means that you need to be a bit more patient when removing than with white spots. If the moisture has already penetrated too deeply into the material and you can't get the stain out, you have no choice but to sand down the surface.
After the treatment you should care for the wood with an organic furniture polish or wax.
