Solid wood is forgiving about most things and unforgiving about three: standing water, direct heat, and being dragged. Get those right and the rest is dusting.
Every day
Dust dry
A soft, dry cloth is all a wood surface needs. Work with the grain rather than across it. Avoid anything abrasive — scouring pads, gritty cloths, or a cloth that has picked up grit.
Wipe spills straight away
Blot rather than rub, then dry the area. Water left standing is the single most common cause of a ring, a raised grain or a lifted finish.
Use mats and coasters
Under hot dishes, mugs, glasses, plants and anything that condenses. A plant pot left directly on a wood top is a slow leak.
Cleaning
If dry dusting is not enough, use a cloth very lightly dampened with water, wrung out until it is barely moist, and dry the surface immediately afterwards. Never let water sit.
Avoid bleach, ammonia-based glass cleaner, solvents, thinners, alcohol-based sprays, all-purpose degreasers, silicone-heavy furniture sprays, steam cleaners and abrasive powders. These strip, cloud or soften a wood finish, and the damage they cause is not covered by the warranty.
If you want to use a proprietary wood polish or wax, test it first on an area that does not show — the underside of a top or the back of a leg — and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Different finishes respond differently, and a product suited to one may cloud another.
Light, heat and humidity
| Condition | What it does | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Prolonged direct sunlight | Fades or bleaches unevenly, and dries timber out | Keep out of a strong window, or use blinds. Move accessories around occasionally so one patch does not stay shaded |
| Radiators, heaters, fireplaces | Dries wood locally and can open joints | Leave a clear gap. Do not place a piece hard against a heat source |
| Very dry air | Shrinkage, and cane becoming brittle | Avoid running heating or air conditioning directly at a piece |
| High humidity or damp | Swelling, sticking drawers and doors, mould risk | Ventilate the room. Keep furniture away from damp walls |
| Steam | Lifts finishes and raises grain | Keep pieces clear of kettles, cookers and bathroom doorways |
Wood moves — and that is normal
Solid wood takes up and gives off moisture with the seasons. A drawer that runs slightly tighter in the monsoon and easier in winter, a hairline in a finish, small movement across a wide top — these are the material doing what it does. They are not faults.
What you can do is keep conditions steady: no extreme swings, no direct heat, no damp. Wood is much happier with a stable room than a perfect one.
Moving furniture
- Lift, never drag. Dragging puts the whole weight of a piece through its legs and joints, which is how a leg loosens or a joint opens.
- Empty drawers and shelves first, and take out any glass or removable top.
- Use two people for anything heavy or long.
- Use felt pads under legs on hard floors — they protect the floor and let a piece settle evenly.
By material
Cane and rattan
Brush rather than wipe — a cloth catches on the weave. A soft brush or a vacuum brush attachment across the panel every few weeks is enough. Keep it dry.
Cane is a natural fibre and lightens with sun exposure faster than the wood around it, so a cane-fronted piece in a bright window will drift in tone over a few years. Very dry air can make it brittle; very high humidity can slacken it. Do not lean or push on a cane panel — it is a facing, not a structural surface.
Upholstery and fabric
Vacuum with an upholstery attachment regularly, before dust works into the weave. Blot spills immediately with a clean dry cloth, working from the outside of the mark inwards — rubbing spreads it and can felt the fibres.
Rotate and plump loose cushions so wear and compression spread evenly; foam and fill soften with use, which is normal. Keep upholstery out of strong sunlight, which fades fabric faster than it fades wood. For a stubborn stain, a professional upholstery cleaner is safer than an untested household product.
Hardware, hinges and drawer glides
Check and tighten screws and fittings roughly once a year — fittings work loose with normal use and a loose fitting is what eventually damages the wood around it. Keep drawer glides and sliding-door tracks clear of grit; wipe a track out rather than oiling it, as oil holds dust. Wipe metal handles dry after cleaning so moisture does not sit at the fixing.
Glass and mirror
Spray glass cleaner onto the cloth, never onto the glass, so it cannot run into the joint between glass and frame and sit against the wood. Wipe dry. Do not place hot items directly on glass.
Stability and safety
Where a tall or top-heavy piece is supplied with wall-anchoring hardware, fit it, and use a fixing appropriate to your wall. Do not open more than one drawer at a time on a tall chest, and never let a child climb one. Distribute weight so heavy items sit low and near the sides rather than at the front of a top shelf.
Not sure about a mark?
Send us a photograph before you try to treat it. Some marks lift easily, and some get permanently worse with the wrong product.