Caring for Your Wood Furniture and Veneers

• Make sure you shield your wood furniture from prolonged sun exposure, which can cause life long damage.
• To keep the relative humidity in a room between 25-35%, use a humidifier in the winter and an air conditioner in the summer.
• Do not place hard wood furniture directly in front of radiators, heating vents or fireplaces or stoves.
• Don't slide objects across the wood surface.
• Use felt pads or coasters under table top accessories so you don't scratch the surface of the wood.
• Never place hot or wet items on the wood. I once had a party guest place his hot coffee cup on my new ebony coffee table and it put a white circle into the finish and ruined the the table.
• Avoid putting plastic or rubber materials (lamp bases, place mats) on your wood furniture. Some plastics have ingredients that may damage the finish.
• To avoid creating permanent marks, rotate your accessories periodically.
• Don't use wax polishes as they attract dirt.
• Don't use silicone polishes as they can seep into the deepest finishes and can be hard to remove.
• Different finishes require different approaches for protection and maintenance. Oils and waxy substances attract dust. This makes it harder to keep the furniture dust free. A good lacquer or varnish finish requires little more than wiping it with a damp cloth and then wiping with a dry cloth.

Barbara Jennings is author of 10 decorating books: Decor Secrets Revealed, Rearrange It, Home Staging for Profit, Home Staging for Yourself, Arrange Your Stuff, Advanced Redesign, Pro Art Consulting, Where There's a Wall - There's a Way, The Art of Hanging Art, Great Parties! Great Homes!