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How To Take Care of Your Hand-Carved Furniture

How To Take Care of Your Hand-Carved Furniture

It is hard to imagine a home in Santa Clarita without furnishings. It is perhaps indispensable to creating a comfortable habitation. Thus, a large amount of time, money and energy is invested in buying the furniture that best complements one’s home in accordance to the individual tastes of the owners. With online and offline marketplaces rapidly increasing the number of options available and showcasing the latest trends and styles, more and more buyers are now looking for exquisite and unique pieces of furniture, that cater to both style and general function. Thus, a rapid increase of interest in the care and maintenance for the same has also been noticed, especially in case of precious antiques or delicate hand-carved furniture. Here are a few basic ways through which one can take good care of hand-carved furniture:

Light Dusting

Hand-carved furniture can pose a problem while dusting. The many nooks and crannies in the design make it quite hard for proper dusting.  A cotton cloth is good for everyday cleaning, but isn’t great to reach those inaccessible corners and crevices. A toothbrush, on the other hand, makes an excellent cleaning instrument because its bristles can reach all of those areas.

‘Dry’ Cleaning

Often, people attempt to clean wooden furniture with water which is best avoided. Water, even if used in small amounts is usually absorbed by the wood fibers, which leads to moisture retention and thus, weaken the solidity of the wood gradually. The chances of the furniture being damaged more quickly are much higher in such cases. Instead, a vacuum cleaner does the job much more efficiently. It removes the loose dust particles without allowing any moisture to settle into the furniture.

Placement

As mentioned above, the chances of damage increase rapidly with moisture retention. Thus, the placement of the furniture is an important consideration. It is advisable to keep wooden hand-carved furniture away from devices that might release moisture into the air. Even when placing containers with liquids on these items, coasters, napkins etc. should be used to prevent the moisture from transferring into the wood. Moisture may also leads to fungal growth or wood rot, which is excessively harmful to any kind of wooden artifact. The effect of heat is also quite damaging to wooden furniture; it loosens the fibers, and degrades the strength of the product. Thus, they should be kept away from heat sources like heat radiators, direct sunlight etc.

Wax, Oil and Spray

Regular use of furniture wax (every 6 months) is recommended so as to maintain the aesthetic appeal of the furniture and ensuring its longevity. But with special hand-carved furniture, wax might not be able to cover all the niches. Furthermore, if wax settles into a corner, it attracts a lot of dust particles and gradually accumulates to form a thick layer on the surface. To address this issue, it is advisable to make use furniture oil. The oil should be spread gently on the entire surface, say with a paintbrush and be allowed to sit overnight. It should then be cleaned with a thin piece of cloth, which can work itself into the nooks in the carving.  Another way to address the problem is to use aerosol furniture cleaning sprays, which not only remove the settled dust particles, but also maintain the finish of the furniture.

Scratches and Marks

Often, an accidental scratch or mark on the surface tarnishes the beauty of ornate furniture. This problem is easily resolved by using a marker or crayon to cover or color in the affected area. The recommended way is to first cover the scratch or mark with a color that is slightly lighter than that of the wood and then further apply another color that is darker than the previous one. A permanent marker can also do wonders with these kinds of issues; markers with fine tips are even more useful because they are able to reach the little spaces within the carving in the furniture.

Nowadays, all the instruments mentioned above are available in the market for easy access by the consumer. A staggering variety in these ‘furniture care’ products can be seen on online marketplaces along with attractive deals and offers. Certain sites, dedicated completely to the sale of furniture, also provide installation services along with sold furniture. In such a scenario, one is able to gain first-hand information by the installers about how to maintain specific kinds of furniture.

How To Take Care of Your Hand-Carved Furniture

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How To Take Care of Your Hand-Carved Furniture

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About Mitch Karratti