Furniture Care & Cleaning Tips by Hooker Furniture

Quality wood furniture is a significant investment expected to last for generations. To maintain its beauty and help it last, wood furniture needs the right care. Hooker Furniture products are finished with two to three coats of lacquer for extra depth and long-lasting durability. The sheen, or gloss, of the finish ranges from high to low, depending on the piece or collection. The finish protects the wood and adds to its beauty. No finish is totally indestructible. But with regular care, the finish will last much longer, providing years of enjoyment to you.

To protect and care for your furniture, we suggest the following:

• • Avoid placing your furniture in direct sunlight, as sunlight causes fading.

• • Avoid extreme changes in temperature by arranging furniture away from radiators, heat and air vents and air conditioning units.

• • Avoid placing plastic or rubber materials (lamp bases, notebooks, placemats, etc.) on your furniture, as certain plastics contain ingredients that may damage the finish.

• • Periodically rotate accessories on furniture so they do not sit in the same spot all the time.

• • Use pads, cloth or felt to protect the furniture surface from plastic, rubber, hot dishes, beverages, bookends, flowerpots and vases.

• • Clean up spills immediately. Use a blotting rather than a wiping action. Water left over a long period of time will cause white spots in the finish. Alcohol, perfume, after-shave and medications can cause severe finish damage.

• • Use a protective pad when writing with a ballpoint pen on the furniture surface.

• • Lift and place objects rather than dragging them across the furniture surface.

• Avoid placing furniture directly under windows.

Cleaning and polishing your furniture

Four drawer French chest

We recommend dusting frequently with a clean, soft, dry, lint-free cloth. Clean the surface by rubbing in the direction of the grain. We recommend polishing your furniture approximately every six months, using a clean, soft, lint-free cloth and rubbing the polish in the direction of the grain.

Now, let’s answer one of the most frequently-asked questions about furniture cleaning:

What are the main types of furniture care products, and which one do you recommend ?

Answer: There are three basic types of furniture care products: silicone cleaners, waxes and polishes. We recommend avoiding silicone cleaners and waxes. While silicone cleaners create a high degree of shine, silicone seeps into even the highest-quality finishes, creating a barrier that will not accept stain or lacquer. This makes it virtually impossible to re-finish or touch-up your furniture.

European Renaissance bookcase

Waxes should be avoided because their regular use may result in a build-up of wax film on the surface of the furniture. This build-up could actually attract dirt, smoke and other pollutants in the air, resulting in smudges and streaks. Also, many waxes contain grit that can permanently damage furniture surfaces if used improperly.

Polishes, which we recommend, contain detergents, emulsifiers and mineral oil. The detergents clean dirt from the furniture, the emulsifiers give it body to clean and last longer and the mineral oil is left behind as a barrier for dirt and moisture that could harm finishes. There’s no grit to harm the finish, no wax to build up and no silicone to raise the sheen and act as a barrier for touch-up and refinishing.