How To Care For Wood Antiques In 8 Steps

Whether you've inherited a grandmother's beautiful wood dresser or you've splurged on an ornate Neoclassical sideboard, you want to care for your wood antiques to keep them looking as beautiful as the day you acquired them. But you also don't want to feel like you're living in a museum or as if you need to treat every piece in your collection with kid gloves.

Luckily, the experts—antique dealers, shop owners, and appraisers—believe that wood antiques are meant to be used. They're designed to be sat on, styled, and incorporated into daily life. They don't have to stay absolutely perfect because life isn't perfect. An occasional scratch or a gradual patina is just a testament to memories. "Furniture is utilitarian, and therefore it is acceptable for pieces to exhibit their age and use. The goal is not for a piece to look pristine, but rather that it has been well-maintained its entire life," says Lindsey Owen, a fine art and antiques appraiser at Lindsey Owen Appraisals.

And that's why the care and upkeep that goes into maintaining wood furniture doesn't need to be time-consuming or intimidating. These are the eight accessible and simple steps the experts swear by to take care of their wood antiques.

Place Wood Antiques Wisely

The most important step you can take in caring for wood antiques and wood furniture is paying attention to where you place it in your home. If the furniture is in a location that doesn't create the right environment for maintaining its appearance and structural integrity, then nothing else matters.

"It may be tempting to place a beautiful wooden commode in front of a window that gets direct sunlight, but it's just not the best place for it. The sun can cause the finish to fade and the wood to dry out," says Will Hunt Lewis, owner of Hunt & Bloom Houston, Texas. Placing wood antiques in an area where they won't get direct sun will help the finish and the wood last longer.

Lewis adds, "I know some of us may just go for the beauty of the placement over the care of the piece, but you really should consider it when you have a piece that is of extreme value."

Keep Liquids Away On A Day-To-Day Basis

"Always use coasters, and, if you spill something on it, wipe it off immediately. Otherwise you can end up with spots," says Reyne Hirsch the owner and fine art expert at Dallas Auction Gallery in Dallas, Texas, offering two basic tenets of care that should always be followed.

Water is an even bigger enemy of wood antiques than direct sun, and anything you can do to keep water, condensation, drips, and spills away from your wood furniture will help extend their lifespan. Lewis notes that this even extends to cleaning. "Avoid using wet cloths on wood furniture if you aren't going to immediately dry the area."

Dust Weekly

Hirsch specifically collects midcentury modern pieces, though she treats them the exact same way she used to take care of her previous art nouveau and mission style furniture. Which is to say, regardless of the style of furniture, resist the urge to try to follow a fancy, complicated cleaning regimen. A simple approach to cleaning wood furniture is best.

"I do a light dust weekly with a dry dust rag. When cleaning, wipe the way of the grain. If it goes east to west, follow that line. Do not go up and down," says Hirsch.

Avoid Harsh Chemicals And Opt For Natural Oils

Strolling through the aisles of a big box store, it's difficult not to be tempted by the numerous products promising gleaming wood furniture. But Lewis insists that you resist the general commercial products. "It's always best to stay away from harsh chemicals, or products that you would pick up at the grocery store," says Lewis.

He recommends using a natural oil product like Christopher Pourny's Furniture Tonic. "It's made in of all-natural oils like linseed and walnut. Giving a regular wipe of this tonic to your wood furniture helps to maintain shine and gives the wood a nice 'drink' to maintain its character and luster," explains Lewis.

Apply A Paste Wax

"The great thing about antique wood furniture is that is needs very little maintenance," says Taylor Thistlethwaite, the owner of Thistlethwaite Americana, an antique shop in Middleburg, Virginia.

He tells his clients that their wood furniture is so low maintenance that it only needs an occasional layer of paste wax. If it's a piece that is more decorative or in a lower traffic area of the home, this can be done every five to ten years.

However, higher use items need a more frequent application. "Tables that see a lot of use, like dining tables or nightstands, I tend to wax every year or two," recommends Thistlethwaite.

There's one case, however, where he would avoid using a paste wax or anything at all. "If a piece has a dark crusty original surface, it is best to leave it alone," says Thistlethwaite.

Touch Up Small Cosmetic Issues

While part of the appeal of antiques is embracing the patina, there are steps you can take at home to fix cosmetic issues. "For small cosmetic issues, like nicks, scratches and abrasions, you can use putty sticks or touch up markers. I also have personally had success with Restor-a-Finish," says Owen.

Go To A Professional For Bigger Issues

However, if there's a larger structural issue with the piece, then skip the DIY repair unless you're okay possibly damaging the piece. "For other condition issues, my constant refrain will always be: go to a professional. In my experience, the most damaging and difficult restorations were fixing amateur restorations and DIY repairs," explains Owen.

Store In A Climate Controlled Place

Not every antique is going to have a place in your home at all times, particularly if you're a small space dweller who has inherited a large collection from an older family member (a story many know all too well!).

But that doesn't mean you should just toss the antiques in a relative's basement for the time being and hope to collect them in a few years when you have more room.

"Something I see happen all too often is the storage of antique pieces in places with no climate control. This can be detrimental to your furniture if it is for more than just a few days," explains Lewis. He notes that fluctuations in temperature and humidity can cause irreversible effects on wood, including mold and mildew.

"If you need to store furniture long-term, opt for a climate-controlled storage unit. I know it's tempting to just throw the pieces in the garage, but if it's not climate-controlled, don't do it," says Lewis.