Top tips for looking after your pine dining furniture
7 top tips: caring for your pine dining funiture
Pine furniture in the dining room is often the most exposed to damage from food and heat. As the furniture ages, you want it to stay as pristine as possible. Here is a list of 7 ways in which you can care for your pine dining furniture. The first 5 are things you should be doing to make the most of your pine furniture. The last 3 tips are things you should never do, but many people make the mistake of doing.
DO’s:
1. Ensure that you check over the pine furniture to tighten any fittings such as hinges- thus avoiding damage to the furniture.
2. In order to clean the furniture, use a dry duster or nearly-dry cloth to remove any dust.
3. For dried-on food and drink spillages or marks, use something gentle to help clean the pine, such as lemon oil. However, wherever possible, try to use just a damp cloth to avoid any risk of an adverse effect on your furniture.
4. Every 2-3 months, apply a very light coat of clear spray wax and use it to buff the most exposed surfaces of your pine furniture.
5. Occasionally, the surface may need re-treating if it becomes scratched (by cutlery for example) or has lost any of its original colour. Use some unperfumed block wax over the entire item, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
DON’T’s:
1. Never place cups, dinner plates or any other kind of kitchenware directly onto the surface of pine furniture, otherwise you will risk marking on the furniture. This is especially the case with very hot or very cold items. Always use placemats to protect the pine underneath.
2. Never position your pine furniture near a heat source such as a radiator, and keep it away from direct sunlight to avoid shrinking and cracking. In particular, it is sudden temperature changes that have the biggest negative effect- so try to keep your room temperature regulated, and avoid rapid temperature transitions.
3. Never use strong cleaning products on your pine furniture- products with chemicals such as soaps and detergents can react with any finish on the furniture resulting in an adverse effect.
By following these tips, they will help you to make the most out of your pine dining furniture, and keep it looking fantastic for many years to come.