How To Clean Wooden Table And Chairs

How to Clean and Protect a Wooden Dining Tabular array

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Raise your hand if your kitchen tabular array — or dining room table — is made of wood? Oh, look, that'due south virtually all of you! Nosotros knew that'd be the instance, which is why we asked! Come across, forest is probably the most common fabric when it comes to tables. But it's also surprisingly fickle to accept care of. Permit the dust pile upwardly and it can scratch the wood's cease! Set it upwardly besides close to a radiator and it could warp! Go out a glass of ice cold water on it and yous could current of air up staring at band marks for all of eternity!

Here's everything y'all need to know near cleaning and protecting your kitchen or dining room table.

How to Clean & Protect Your Woods Dining Table

What you'll need

ii microfiber cleaning cloths
Liquid dish soap
A modest bowl

Instructions:

Wipe downward the table: Use a barely damp microfiber cloth to remove any grit, crumbs, and grime that may take congenital upward.
Brand and apply your cleaning solution: If there are any sticky spots left backside, add a drop or two of dish soap to a bowl of warm water. Dip your damp microfiber cloth into the soapy water and gently rub the affected area. You may desire to practice a test on an out-of-sight section first — merely to make sure the finish tin can withstand fifty-fifty the most gentle soap.
Dry out the table: You lot don't want your wood tabular array to sit with water on it (ever), so apply a clean, dry microfiber cloth to dry out and buff the tabular array.

Notes:

If the sticky spots remain, you tin can besides endeavour mineral spirits. Here, you'll definitely want to test a small out-of-sight spot. And you'll want to make sure the room/your workspace is well ventilated. Set to go? Add a little bit of mineral spirits to a clean cloth and rub the mucilaginous expanse.
If the table just doesn't seem to come up clean or become whatsoever less sticky, you tin talk to an practiced (or watch some YouTube videos) almost refinishing the table.

Other Tips For Cleaning & Protecting a Wood Table

1. Grit your wood table oft.

Minor particles of dust may seem harmless, but enough buildup can scratch the forest'southward finish. Grit at to the lowest degree weekly with a soft, lint-free cloth (cheesecloth, a cotton diaper, or a cut-upwardly erstwhile t-shirt all work wonderfully). Stay abroad from specialized dust polishes, as they contain silicones that tin can soak into the grain of the wood and damage it for good. Instead, lightly dampen a cloth with water or use a microfiber textile that will cling to dust particles on its ain.

2. Utilize vinegar and oil to get water rings out of your wooden table.

3. Keep information technology away from the radiator.

Don't place a wood dining tabular array over a radiator or correct next to a rut register. The temperature swings could damage the woods with warping or splitting. Also, store any extra leaves near the table itself. This ensures that the leaf volition non warp or nifty/contract differently from the table. If you shop the leaf in a basement or attic, the moisture and temperature differential could take its toll.

4. Spotter humidity levels.

As with all woodwork, from flooring to trim, from dining tables to other furnishings, endeavour to keep humidity levels in your home between 40 and 45%. Whatever lower could crevice the wood and whatsoever higher could cause swelling. For about of u.s.a., this means running a humidifier in the winter and an a/c or de-humidifier in the summer.

five. Brand your woods table shine.

Like we pointed out above, it's best to skip a silicone product. Rather, smooth with a difficult, carnauba wax. Use ii of those soft, lint-free cloths again: 1 to utilise the wax and another to polish. It will take some real elbow grease, but thankfully this task merely needs to be washed about twice a year.

Exercise you have any other questions near cleaning and protecting wood tables? Leave them in the comments below!

Regina Yunghans

Contributor

Regina is an architect who lives with her married man and children in Lawrence, KS. As a LEED Accredited Professional and longtime correspondent to Apartment Therapy and The Kitchn, her focus is on healthy, sustainable living through pattern.