Caring for Your Furniture

• Wipe up spills right away.
• Clean with a soft cloth dampened with water and a little mild soap, then dry immediately.
• Avoid store-bought dusting sprays, all-purpose sprays and bleach-based cleaners; they can damage the finish and cause the wood to fade prematurely.
• Use coasters under drinks and trivets or pads under hot dishes.
• Lift objects rather than dragging them across the top.

Hard-wax oil finishes soak into the wood rather than sitting on top as a film. That is why we like them: they look and feel natural, and wear can be touched up in one spot instead of refinishing the whole piece.

• For routine cleaning, use the soap or cleaner the finish maker recommends, or a little mild soap and water.
• Over time, high-use areas such as the spots where you sit every day can start to look dry or dull. That is the time for a refresh with the maintenance oil made for your finish.
• Light scratches can often be blended in with a little oil on a pad. Deeper scratches or dents may need light sanding before re-oiling — ask us first.

These finishes form a hard, protective film on the surface. Clean them the same way. Because the film is continuous, a scratch that cuts through it usually needs professional repair rather than a quick touch-up — contact us if that happens.

Wood is natural and keeps moving with humidity, temperature and the seasons. We walk every client through what to expect.

• Keep furniture away from heat vents, radiators and fireplaces.
• Long exposure to direct sunlight changes the color of any wood; rotating table decor and placemats helps the top age evenly.
• Small seasonal gaps or slight movement are normal. Cracks or checks that develop on their own are part of solid wood, not a defect.

Related: how each wood changes color

• The finish looks dry, dull or worn through in areas you use most
• Water marks or rings don’t wipe away
• There’s a deep scratch, dent, burn or a loose part

Later on, we can refinish or re-oil your piece for a fee — or walk you through doing it yourself. We warranty our workmanship and our finish application. If a finish was not applied correctly, it is covered: we refinish it, including pickup or repair in place. If a correctly applied finish wears or fails, we’ll ask to see the piece or a few photos so we can tell what caused it — everyday use, seasonal wood movement, damage or misuse, or an application problem — and recommend the right fix. Wood is natural and moves, so cracks or checks that develop on their own are not a defect.

Related: repair and refinishing