Wooden dining tables are a beautiful rustic addition to any dining room. We understand that you will wish to help to maintain the beauty and elegance of your dining table, and to extend its life for many years to come. The best way to do this, is to regularly care for and nourish the wood.

It will take more than just a quick dusting every once in a while to keep its glorious sheen. To help you to keep your table looking wonderful, and prevent damage to the beautiful wood, we have put together a few tips for you to consider when it comes to wood care.

Think about the effects of temperature and humidity

Wooden tables react to their environment, meaning that shifting temperatures and humidity will have a significant effect on their overall wellbeing. it’s important to keep your dining room table in a stable environment as much as possible so that lasting damage won’t occur. A high temperature and high humidity will cause the wood to swell and expand whilst a low temperature and humidity will cause the wood to shrink and warp. Both changes have a massive effect on how the wood looks and feels. If the temperature and humidity in which you keep your wooden dining table changes regularly and rapidly, it could cause the wood to split.  

Try to keep your dining table away from sources of heat and drafts, and keep it within a consistent environment. The humidity levels should ideally be between 40-45% to be optimal and to keep your table healthy. This of course also applies to other wooden pieces of furniture that could be in your dining room such as a solid oak sideboard.

How to combat direct sunlight damage

The ultra violet rays from direct sunlight can change or fade the appearance of wooden furniture. Depending on the species of wood, it could darken or in other cases become bleached. Understandably, you can’t always stop sunlight from touching your luxurious dining table, but there are a few methods to help combat its noticeable effects.

Keep the top surface of your table clear of any accessories for the first couple of months, or be sure to move the items around frequently. This will help to discourage discolouration, not giving the sun enough time to bleach the surface before it becomes exposed again.  

Regular dusting

Dusting of your dining table should be done regularly and carefully, rubbing in the direction of the wood grain with a soft cloth, so that you don’t accidently leave scratch marks behind. Be sure to rotate the cloth frequently to remove any of the previous dirt coming back into contact with the table. This should become part of your regular cleaning routine and can be applied to other wooden pieces of furniture like your solid oak TV stands.

Avoid silicone in your cleaning products

Silicone is a synthetic material that gets soaked into the wood grain which can cause a build-up upon the surface giving it a plastic-like sheen and making it sticky to the touch. To avoid this, do not use any cleaning products or sprays that contain silicone, and instead opt for a non-alkaline soap and water solution to remove any dirt or grease, a process that should also be applied to your wooden dining chairs.

Remember to dry the surface immediately after cleaning as you don’t want to leave a residue behind that would cause water damage.

Prevention of damage to your wooden dining table

The best method of protection for your table is prevention. When putting hot plates on to wooden surfaces, be sure to use a mat so that your table top will be safe from burns, and if you are placing drinks on the table, use coasters to stop water rings from appearing.