Home Dining Care: Wood

Dining furniture care guide

The video below shows everyday care for natural wood dining tables to help your new furniture last longer.

DAILY CARE
WOOD CARE
GLASS CARE
LACQUER CARE
STONE CARE

Wood care

Natural wood

Looking for more quick tips? The Daily Care tab has loads of useful info to take the fuss out of furniture care.

Cleaning tips

As most wood is absorbent, it’s important to dust your wood furniture often to prevent particles from building up and becoming ingrained in the surface layer. Furniture should be wiped clean with a damp cloth then dried using a soft, lint-free duster. Avoid sprays and silicone wipes and polishes as these can leave marks and residues, and abrasive cleaners as these may scratch your wood furniture.

Cleaning waxed wood

Cleaning waxed wood

Polish waxed wood furniture, following the direction of the grain, every three months with good quality natural beeswax. Use a soft duster to buff up and retain the natural look of your furniture, and avoid abrasive cleaners, wipes and sprays.

Cleaning oiled wood

Cleaning oiled wood

Oiled wood needs to be cared for following the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure you keep hold of these when you receive your new furniture!

Regulate room temperature

Make sure the room isn’t too humid or too dry, and keep the temperature regulated. Wooden furniture exchanges moisture with the air and will shrink and expand depending on air humidity. Avoid placing your dining furniture in direct sun, near a radiator or close to a direct source of heat as wood isn’t heat-resistant or heat-proof.

Protect wood from heat and spills

We recommend always using coasters and placemats. Never put hot plates, dishes and cups from the oven or microwave straight onto your wooden dining table or cabinet. Let them cool down and then place on trivets, tablecloths or mats.

Keep light levels low

Wood furniture can change colour if it’s exposed to continuous light, so keep your dining furniture in low light areas, and make sure that any lamps or ornaments don’t sit in one place for too long. You may want to keep the curtains drawn when the room isn’t in use.

Leave extending tables extended

If you can, leave your dining table fully extended or make sure that its extending leaves are exposed to similar light levels to avoid colour differences between them and the rest of the tabletop. In fact, extending dining tables should be left extended for the first few months to avoid an uneven appearance.

What you should know

Wood is a natural product, so it’s perfectly normal to have knots that may be filled. No two pieces of veneer or solid timber are the same and will vary in shade. All timber surfaces will change colour and mellow over time. New furniture will initially vary in shade from any items purchased earlier.

Be safe!

Never move or carry an extending table while the extension leaves are in use – always return the table to its unextended position first. And remember that inserting or removing the extra leaves of an extending table is a two-person job. To prevent injury and property damage from unexpected tipping of furniture, we highly recommend installation of anti-tip kits, if supplied with your furniture and for any piece of furniture over 600mm in height. As hardware may loosen overtime, periodically check that all connections are tight, and re-tighten as necessary.

Protect your dining furniture with Care+ Protect

Our Care+ Protect Policy offers protection against accidental damage like spills and stains, plus structural damage like warped and broken frames, giving you total peace of mind.

Already placed your order?

No worries. As long as you made your purchase less than 14 days ago, you can add a Care+ Protect policy to cover your new furniture – plus you’ll receive a FREE Care Kit for your protected furniture. Just call us on 0345 646 1701 and we’ll get it set up in no time.

Dining Care Kits

Natural Wood Care Kit

Natural Wood Care Kit

Clean, protect and enhance the beauty of natural wood.

lacquered Wood

Ceramic & Stone Care Kit

Keep your ceramic and stone surfaces in tip-top condition.

High gloss & Glass Care Kit

High-gloss & Glass Care Kit

Specially formulated for exceptional cleaning and polishing.

lacquered Wood

Laquered Wood Care Kit

Designed to help you maintain the lustre of lacquered wood furniture.