Wooden furniture is expensive, elegant, and durable than cardboard or steel furniture. This expensive material decays quickly if not properly maintained. You are going out of home for some days, and after coming back, you will see the dust and scratch on the wooden furniture becomes terrible.
It is a very annoying problem. Since it is a major investment, you should know how to protect a wooden dining table. A quality wooden table can last for generations with proper care. You may think protecting wooden dining tables is challenging. The truth is, it needs a short of time if you are regular. Here is everything about cleaning and protecting your expensive investment.
What is Responsible for Ruining Your Dining Table?
A wooden dining table is one of the most elegant pieces of furniture in your room. A wooden table gives your room an elegant look. In that case, there is a huge chance that your wooden dining table will lose its elegance.
Certain things are responsible for ruining any wooden surface. If your dining table is made of wood, you must be aware of these things. Temperature, liquid, wet clothes, weather, and other things can wreck any wooden surface like a dining table. Let’s find out how they are creating such a mess.
Scratches
Scratches easily fall on any surface. It doesn’t think about any expensive and inexpensive product. Scratch loves to ruin home decoration. And if there are small children in the house, then there is no point.
You will find a scratch everywhere. Spoons, pins, keys can create scratches on top of the table. Many times, even lighter sharp objects make scratches on the table. Scratches dull your dining table. Scratch also affects the color of the wood.
How to Remove Scratches From Wood Furniture With Sandpaper
Wooden furniture can be the perfect addition to any room, but it’s important to take the necessary steps to keep it looking its best. One of the most common ways to damage wood furniture is by scratching it with the tips of your fingers. To prevent this, remove dust or dirt with a cloth before sanding the wood.
If the scratches are deep, you may need to use a wood filler and apply sealant. To finish the job, use fine-grit sandpaper to remove the scratch marks and restore the furniture piece to its original shine.
Temperature And Humidity
The average temperature is not harmful to furniture. However, this topic becomes very difficult when the temperature is very high. Both high and low temperatures can destroy your wooden furniture. Poor balance of steam in your home is likely to destroy your wooden furniture. Upon exposure to excess moisture, wooden furniture can stretch and begin to deteriorate. High humidity is seen in spring and summer.
Again, in the rainy season, the house stays damp. When it rains a little, the whole house gets wet, which is very harmful to the furniture. On the other hand, low humidity destroys wooden furniture, which will later become impossible to repair.
Hot elements burn the wooden furniture. Not only hot objects but direct sunlight will dry the furniture that leads to cracking. Direct sunlight makes the wood surface fade also.
Fluids
Water is such an element that cause harm to the wood. Water weakens the wooden surface and makes the surface dull. If any fluid falls unexpectedly, it damages both the wood and the finish.
Each wooden piece of furniture is given a kind of coating. This coating enhances the brightness of the table. Water or any liquid spilled on the wooden furniture makes the layer pale. We will now know all the mistakes that ruin the wooden dining table. Avoiding these mistakes helps us to protect the wooden dining table.
Don’t Keep Hot Items on The Table
A holiday means a gathering in our house. In this gathering, family members, neighbors, and friends all come together. At that moment, you will cook delicious food to entertain them. Whether you order food from outside or make it yourself, those dishes are scorching. Keeping hot dishes or other warm things directly on the wooden table is not a good practice. Hot things damage the wood.
Hot things are not only harmful to woods only; they also crack glasses. You can put any freshly cooked hot food in a pan and place it on the test table. Your wooden dining table will turn black. It was fun. Be careful not to try to do that. Doing such can damage your investment. Once a part of the table burns and turns black, you can’t fix that part. So, you should not keep any hot items directly on the wooden dining table.
To avoid this problem, you can keep something like a pad or trivet under a hot pan. Keeping a pad under a hot pan is a good practice. Pad saves surfaces from hot items. If you want the dining table always to be elegant, never place a hot pot on the table.
Do Not Place Any Water Objects on The Table
You should not keep cold drinks, wine bottles, vases, and wet objects on the wooden dining table. We all know that water is poured through bottles of cold drinks. That means your wooden table is in trouble. Flower vases and wine bottles transfer water and humidity on the dining table. The bottom of all these objects is round. So, a round ball of water will form in the place where the vase is kept, which will look like a white ring on your table if left for a long time.
That means whatever you put on the table, a cold drink or flower vase, it creates a white ring. This white ring is a reflection of the loss of color on the wooden table. The question is, why is this happening. The answer is straightforward; we have discussed earlier, water and humidity. The first time or twice, it will not dull the wood. But if this happens too often, you will not be able to repair dining table.
I had made such a mistake before. I would put a wet towel on the sofa handle, which was made of wood. And if you have a careful Mom, you know what will happen next, beatings and anger from dear mom. So, don’t try to do such a thing if you have an angry Mom or wife. Both of them beat you in the same way.
If you have a habit of putting the wet stuff on wood, shake them off now. It will keep the dining table’s wood healthy, and you will also be safe from your mother’s reprimand.
Never Light A Candle on A Wooden Table
A candle is always a bad option for wood because of the high temperature. Candles are an ornamental object, no doubt. But you are not allowed to keep them on the wooden table. Once the wax melts, it becomes exhausted. But what is the last-minute guarantee that the wax fire will not touch the wood of your table? The waxy part of the fire will turn black for sure.
Even if you put out the fire before the wax is completely melted, there is still a little problem. If you find some pieces of wax, you should not grab a knife to remove wax pieces. Using metal is not a good practice on the wooden surface. If you can, use a card. You can use any card like visiting card, credit or debit card, door card, etc. Visiting cards are strong enough to scrape off wax pieces without a scratch. You can also use cloths but don’t use metal or sharp material.
Don’t Use Watch with Silver Chain
Currently, men and women both wear chain watches. If these clocks of girls are relatively small, boys’ clocks are oversized. Besides, girls wear shiny jewelry or bracelet that are gauges on the table.
These are very hard materials. These can scratch on the wood with a little rubbing. Since watches and bracelets are fashion items, it is hard to skip them to wear.
Many smartwatches now have rubber or leather belts. Men should try them. Smartwatch comes with different straps that look more attractive.
It is not uncommon to make such mistakes despite being careful enough. Worldly conditions in daily life can put your wooden table at risk of ugly scratches or stains. So, we must know how to protect wooden dining table from scratches.
In addition to avoiding our own mistakes, if we can properly maintain the furniture in the house, not only the wooden dining table but every piece of furniture will be scratch-free. Without making a further delay, let’s know how to protect wood furniture.
How To Protect Wooden Dining Table From Water And Scratch?
Water is a curse for wooden furniture. Water makes furniture dull and removes the actual color. It is very simple to protect our wooden dining table from water. Don’t worry; you don’t need to spend huge bucks on it.
Using Tablecloth
Tablecloths are the best tools to protect the dining table from water. It is inexpensive also. Moreover, tablecloths offer some beautiful design that increases the beauty of home décor.
Not all types of table cloth are of good quality. You can choose cotton and lined tablecloths because they are of good quality and budget-friendly. A few people like transparent tablecloths also.
Using Glass on the Table
Using glass is a little bit expensive option than the previous one. But it is a good choice. The glass enhances the beauty of the dining table and its protection. Glass gives your table a glossy look.
The surface of the glass is strong and thick enough to prevent scratches from vases, pens, keys, etc.
Cold drinks, ice-cream boxes leave unsightly water on the table. If you install a glass tabletop, you can protect your dining table from everything.
Notice: You are not allowed to put a hot cooking pan or any warm item on the glass.
The above two are the most helpful way to protect a wooden dining table. But you cannot use glass or tablecloths on every piece of furniture.
So, there are some other ways you can prevent water from making any mess with your furniture.
- Avoid putting cold items on the furniture.
- Use a pad or other placement to keep anything warm and cold on the table.
- Clean the water, wax clumps, and other spillages as soon as possible.
How to Protect Wooden Furniture from Sunlight?
Direct sunlight is very hot and increases the room temperature. The color of the furniture is lost when exposed to direct sunlight. UV rays of the sun are also harmful to furniture.
Excess temperature can crack the wood easily. It’s not just about the dining table; it’s all about the wooden furniture. Even tabletops cannot protect the dining table if there is direct sunlight on your table.
Direct sunlight can fade the color of tabletops. You will notice discoloration on the furniture also. You have to place your wooden items far away from the window or where the sunlight comes from.
If it is impossible to make a proper placement, you must try the below ways to protect your furniture.
Use Curtains
Curtains are household items. One of the many uses of the curtain is to prevent sunlight. Like tablecloths, it is the best budget-friendly option to protect furniture from direct sunlight.
The curtain keeps your room cold during a hot summer day. It also prevents UV rays that come from sunlight. If you want to choose a safer option than a curtain, you can try semi-transparent roller blinds.
Semi-transparent blinds play a significant role in resisting sunlight as well as home security.
Use Solar Window Film
This is a modern process to save your home from extra sunlight. A solar window film can reject the sun’s harmful rays up to 99.9%. You should purchase a new window film for your home. When the window is protected by film, it can block more than 95% of infrared lights. As a result of applying the film, even if direct sunlight falls on the table, there is no chance that the color will fade.
How to Prevent Water Rings on Wood Furniture?
Wooden tables are beautiful, but water rings are risky for them. Water rings can damage wood and fade colors. The process of preventing water rings is almost similar like prevent water and scratch. If there is already a water ring on the table, then the way to remove it is given below:
- Use the mixture of vinegar and olive oil to the spot until the rings are gone.
- Place some mayonnaise on the stain using a paper towel for few hours or overnight.
- Heat iron and put the warm iron on the water stain using a cotton cloth.
- Apply plenty of toothpaste on a clean cloth and graze the stain.
- Cleaning agents are also helpful in removing water rings from furniture.
The above tips are the best ways to help you get rid of stains on your favorite dining table. But if water does not fall on the table, then where will the stain come from. So, it would be best if you had a shield to prevent water.
Prevention is always the best option. You need to spend few bucks for purchasing pads, coasters, or holders.
Serve the hot meal on the pads and put glasses and mugs on the holder. And, don’t forget to use a tablecloth on the wooden dining table.
Protecting and Caring for Your Wooden Table
Wooden dining tables are a beautiful addition to any room. However, they can be easily damaged if not treated with the proper care. To protect your table:
- Wash it with warm, soapy water and dry it off completely.
- Apply a coat of protection every month.
- Remove the coat once a month to use a new layer of protection, if needed.
- Then, store your table in a cool, dark place to keep it looking its best.
- Lastly, protect your table by using a protective coating.
Cleaning Your Wooden Table
A wooden dining table can be a beautiful addition to any room in the home, but it’s important to take care of it. When the table is dirty, wash it with warm water and soap. If spills or food droplets occur, blot them up as much as possible with a paper towel. Do not use harsh chemicals to clean your table – this can damage the wood surface. Finally, wipe your table with a dry cloth every time you use it.
Conclusion
These are the things you need to know about protecting the wooden dining table if you plan to own it. Here is an important matter you must know. No matter how many ways you apply to protect the table, nothing can beat cleaning.
You have to be regular to clean your furniture. With laziness, you will never be able to maintain your home correctly. I hope now you know how to protect wooden dining table. If you clean furniture regularly and follow our guide, your wooden dining table indeed lasts long.
Leave a Reply