Caring for oil-finished furniture
It's a crisp, sunny early spring day, and it's nice to have the windows open, making it the perfect time to maintain your furniture.
Do your wooden tables and chairs have a beautiful shine? Wooden furniture breathes and is alive. A rough surface is a sign that maintenance is needed. When it dries, the surface becomes whitish, which not only looks bad but also causes deterioration such as cracking and warping, so be sure to keep it moisturized.
The method we will introduce this time is how to care for furniture with an oil finish. Please note that it is not suitable for solid wood or urethane processing.
We will use sample wood pieces in medium brown and dark brown from our original furniture Calm series. Let's take a look at the Before/After while introducing the care methods.
Before/After Preparation
The product we use is a long-selling product that has been used by furniture stores around the world since it was manufactured in the 18th century. Lemon oil and beeswax from Old Village, a long-established American company.
*This product is currently not available.
I divided it into 3 parts with masking tape so that you can see the difference between beeswax wax / no application / lemon oil. Use a Kim towel instead of a cloth or rag. You can also use an old soft cloth, towel or kitchen paper.
Old Village Lemon Oil - Lemon Oil
Adding oil to the wood prevents it from drying out and warping. In addition to wooden products, it is also used for a variety of purposes, such as polishing stainless steel and plastics, and protecting leather.
- Removes dirt.
- Drizzle lemon oil directly along the grain of the wood and use a clean cloth to apply it as if you were waxing.
- Leave it on for 10 to 20 minutes to allow the oil to absorb.
- Wipe the whole surface dry. This will help the oil to penetrate better.
- Leave it to dry for 30 minutes. Do not place anything on the wood during this time. If it is difficult to dry, let it dry overnight. We recommend applying two coats in dry environments.
Ideally, lemon oil should be used for maintenance once every six months, depending on the degree of dryness and deterioration of the furniture. We also recommend cleaning every 3 to 4 months depending on the environment, such as when the furniture is near an air conditioner.
Old Village Wax Polish - Beeswax Wax
Covering the surface with wax has a preservative effect and makes it easier to remove dirt. Adds shine to furniture.
- Remove dirt and dust and wipe dry.
- Shake the bottle well.
- Apply a small amount of wax to a clean cloth.
- Apply lightly and evenly along the grain of the wood.
- Allow the wax to dry for about 15 minutes.
- Wipe the whole thing dry and you're done.
The overall color is deep and the texture is moist. As for beeswax wax, it is ideal to perform maintenance once every six months. Depending on the environment, such as if the furniture is placed near an air conditioner, we recommend cleaning it every 3 to 4 months.
Finished product Before/After
You can barely feel the difference between beeswax wax and lemon oil. Both have a dark overall color, clear wood grain, and a beautiful, moist finish. You can also see how dry and whitish the area is when compared to the unapplied area.
If you compare it to skin care, lemon oil is a lotion, and beeswax is a milky lotion. It's safe to have both, but you can feel the difference even if you clean just one of them, as shown in the photo.
If you look at it from a different angle, you can see that it has a natural shine.
In this way, care is important not only to protect the surface, but also to revive the charm of the material. If you maintain it yourself, your love for it will deepen, and you will enjoy the beautiful aging of the wood and the charm of oil-finished furniture. Please give it a try.
*If this is your first time, try applying it on an inconspicuous area such as the back of the top plate.
At ANTRY, we offer an organic care product made with natural ingredients that has the effects of both oil and wax: "Lanapare Leather Treatment".
