Easy To Follow Tips For Taking Care Of Pine Dining Tables
Pine is the ideal choice for an aesthetically pleasing and robust dining table. As a dining table is one of the most used pieces of furniture in your home though, especially if you regularly eat meals up at it or frequently use it for other things, it has to endure a lot. When you consider the amount of money you paid for it, even with pine furniture being less expensive than other wooden furniture, you will be interested in doing all you can to ensure your pine dining table lasts as long as possible.
With that in mind, in the following post we have put together what we feel are some of the most crucial, but also easiest to follow, tips for taking care of your pine dining table. If you do not have a pine dining table and have been browsing Farmhouse Furnishings for one, it is still worth bookmarking this article for when you eventually get one.
Dust Every Week (At Least)
Although it may seem like tiny specks of dust are harmless, if allowed to build up, dust can start to scratch at the table’s finish. It is therefore vital to dust your pine furniture, in this case your dining table, at least once a week. Make sure you use a lint-free, soft cloth (an old t-shirt, cotton nappy and cheesecloth also work). Avoid using dust polishes such as Pledge and other brands, as the majority of these contain harmful silicones that the wood grain can soak up, which in turn can cause irreversible damage to the wood. To dust effectively all you need to do is use a soft lightly damp cloth or a microfibre cloth that will collect the dust up.
Mayonnaise For Watermark Rings
Watermark rings are something all wooden furniture owners have to deal with. Regardless of how consistent you are with putting out coasters and place mats, mistakes happen and then you have those unattractive rings because someone placed a wet glass or mug on the table. There is a very good chance the mark is just in the wax coating and not the actual wood. Which means, simply taking some mayonnaise (yes, mayonnaise) and rubbing it into the mark should get rid of it.
Where You Have Place Table Matters
Avoid placing your wooden table near a radiator or other heat sources as the changes in temperature could cause the wood to split or warp. If your table has extra leaves, it is best to store them near to the table, as this ensure that they won’t contract/swell or warp differently from the rest of the table. Storing the leaves in your attic or basement is problematic as the temperature and moisture different could damage.
Keep A Close Watch On Humidity Levels
As is the same with any wooden furniture, whether it’s skirting board, flooring, cabinets, dining tables or anything else, you need to try and ensure that humidity levels do not go any higher or lower than 40 to 45. If humidity rose any higher, the wood could swell, and if it went any lower, it could crack. For most of us, this means you would have to have a humidifier running during the winter and a dehumidifier or air conditioner running during summer.
Keep It Shining
We previously mentioned that you should avoid using silicone-based polishes, but you still take the time to keep your table shining. You can do this by using carnauba wax and two lint-free, soft cloths. Use one of the cloths to apply the wax to the wood and the other to buff it. You will have to use a lot of your upper body strength but he good thing is that you only need to do it once or twice a year.
