Tips to Take Care of Your Furniture

Here at Decibel Designs we’ve committed to quality design and craftsmanship when we design our furniture. We ensure that every detail is examined to a tee before we release it into your care. But after that, it’s up to you. So we wanted to pull together some tips and tricks for caring for your furniture once it’s home with you.

Fine wood furniture is a treasured possession that can last a family many generations. With these tips, it will always look as good as the day you brought it home.

Make sure that you avoid heat and light. Wood in its natural state contains a shocking degree of moisture. You want to preserve the appropriate levels of moisture as much as possible. We recommend placing your Decibel Designs piece away from fireplaces, radiators and heating vents. As for the old furniture that you’re planning on storing? Don’t store it in the attic. Levels of humidity and temperature change drastically from season to season. And although we know that you want to put your new score on display for the neighbors to see, we do advocate against placing your furniture in direct sunlight. It will fade much faster. If you have to place it in front of a window, utilize sheers, protective window films or sheers as protection against the rays of the sun.

Clean your furniture safely. This includes dusting frequently (you're doing your allergies a favor with this tip as well). You won’t even give dirt the chance to settle in and call your furniture home. When dusting we recommend using a very slightly damp lamb’s wool duster or a very slightly damp white cotton cleaning cloth. Try to avoid using a feather duster. If it happens to break a quill, this quill can scratch the furniture’s finish. The same goes for dry dusting, so dampen your cleaning cloth with wood polish or a spray dusting agent. Once a year, treat your furniture to a heavier cleaning. Mix a solution of oil soap and water. Murphy's Oil Soap works quite well for this purpose. Use a natural sponge and gently stroke the furniture. This will loosen soil including film from cigarette smoke. Following washing it, dry your furniture using a fresh cleaning cloth. Never spray any cleaner on your furniture directly. If you happen to overspray it, there will be a film left behind that is very difficult to remove.

There is a battle between polish and wax. Two separate camps, both with valid arguments. Wax is practically a solid product. You’ll need some elbow grease to apply. However, once it’s applied, you have a successful, long-lasting coat on your hands. Polish is much easier but because it’s made with a petroleum solvent, it evaporates much more quickly. We’re not squarely in one camp or the other, but we are all about consistency. You need to pick one or the other. If you attempt to combine the two products, this will result in a gummy mess. No fun. You also want to ensure that you’re picking out the appropriate treatment for the finish of your piece. 

We recommend Howard's Feed n' Wax for care of your traditional furniture and cabinetry. It's a time proven combination of beeswax, carnuba wax, and orange oil. It cleans, moisturizes dry finishes and waxes all at the same time. And has all natural ingredients.

As far as Decibel Designs cabinetry care, there's not much you need to do. The urethane top coat we use is catalyzed with ultra violet light, so the surface is locked close and stable. A damp cloth for dusting is about all that's needed.

Feel free to reach out to use about any care concerns you may have. We have decades of experience finishing home furnishings.