How To Take Care of Vintage Cherry Furniture

April 24th, 2017 Blog

Vintage cherry wood has long been a material coveted by customers of solid wood furniture. It offers a rich, reddish brown colour that’s deep and distinguished, not to mention impossible to fake. Cherry heartwood is best known for its darkening properties; when it’s exposed to light, it darkens with age, creating a richer colour. It’s easy to work with, producing a smooth finish, and the grain is remarkably straight and uniform. It’s easy to see why it’s a popular material; we love to work with it and our customers love its stability and depth of colour. Vintage cherry is an investment, even if you take advantage of our 5 percent off vintage cherry promotion, so you want to be able to care for it appropriately, to keep it looking its best.

When you first bring home a new table, there are a few rules to follow while the wood finishes curing so that it does not dry out or become too moist, swelling, cracking, or warping. If you’re bringing the piece home during the winter, dry air from heating can cause the wood to contract too much. Woodcraft furniture is made with the knowledge that it will shrink, but it’s important that the wood does so according to specifications, so use a humidifier and keep humidity around 40 to 45 percent for the best results.

Other tips to make sure the wood cures properly is opening up any drawers for an hour every day so that the insides cure properly. It’s also important that you not use any solvents or water in the first 30 days, and avoid placing any hot or cold objects (warm plates, cold drinks) on it. Long-term, it’s a good idea to keep the table in a part of your home where it will avoid direct sunlight, which can cause the wood to fade or change over time.

After this 30 day period, furniture experts disagree on how to clean a solid wood table. Some suggest using oil soap or wax, but if you have a Woodcraft cherry dining table, we do not recommend using these products. All you need to do is dust frequently and wipe down the table with a damp cloth, followed by a dry one that you should use to buff the wood along the grain.

Hiding scratches can be accomplished with iodine, which will colour in the scratch, although other DIY measures include using coffee grounds, teabags, or even the meat of a walnut or pecan. It can take some work to get the colours to match; for example, if you apply a teabag, you may need to apply more to get the right darkness. You can use these tips to get by day-to-day, because scratches are an inevitable part of life, but to truly restore your vintage cherry table, have it refinished by Woodcraft. Not only are we experts with wood, we do everything by hand, stripping the damaged and scratched surface and applying a new finish that will give your dining table a new life. Just give us a call if you have any questions about caring for or refinishing your vintage cherry dining table.