Timber Furniture Care Guide | Maintenance & Cleaning Tips

At Retrograde Furniture, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our timber furniture. To ensure that your furniture maintains its beauty and durability for years to come, it is important to properly care for it.

Aftercare tips

Our finish

We seal and finish all our furniture with a natural hard wax oil that provides exceptional durability and resistance for internal timber surfaces. This product is easily maintained and rejuvenated when required. If maintained correctly, no future sanding is needed as it is a replenishable coating system designed to be easily spot repaired without leaving repair marks.

The surface is safe for humans, animals and plants when dry (suitable for children's toys acc. to EN 71.3). 

See the Daily Maintenance or Rejuvenation sections to view aftercare products to keep your furniture looking tip-top over time.

Before installation

Our furniture is designed to be indoors, and should be stored accordingly - before and after installation. If you are cannot install your furniture immediately upon receipt, make sure you are storing them in a climate-controlled area and mimics your natural living area in your home.

Avoid extreme conditions. Never store your furniture in uninsulated garages, sheds, outdoor areas, or spaces without temperature control. Australia's climate can reach 40°C+ in summer with very low humidity, or high humidity in coastal/tropical areas. These extremes can cause timber to crack, warp, or split during storage. 

Solid timber responds to its environment. Exposure (before, during or after installation) in extreme heat, cold, or humidity can cause irreversible damage that is not covered under our structural warranty

Once installed in its final location within normal household conditions, your furniture will stabilise and perform beautifully for generations. 

Daily maintenance

To clean your furniture, use a damp cloth or sponge and mild detergent. Avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive materials, as they can damage the finish of the wood.

Under no circumstance use bleach, ammonia or caustic based cleaners. It is also important to not use citrus or eucalyptus-based cleaning products.These products will strip or weaken the coating and could cause colour distortion and reduce the durability and stain resistance.

You can purchase a Furniture Care Kit here.

General care notes

Exposure to direct sunlight may alter the patina of your furniture over time and can cause timber to dry out excessively Position furniture away from windows where it receives direct sun for extended periods, or use window treatments during peak UV hours (10am-3pm). Avoid placing near heat sources including heaters, fireplaces, or hot water systems.

Solid timber performs best in stable household temperatures (15-25°C). Avoid placing furniture in areas subject to significant temperature fluctuations, such as near air conditioning vents, outdoor transition zones, or uninsulated rooms.

Try not to drag unglazed ceramics, or sharp objects on the face of your furniture, and the rule of thumb for heat is that if it's too hot to touch, you should use a trivet. 

Water and moisture are also not fond friends on solid timber. While all our furniture is fully sealed meaning spilt water or liquids will simply bead up making it easy to wipe off, we recommend doing this as quickly as possible, not allowing any standing water or liquids that may damage the finish over time.

Note that harsh chemicals including concentrated oils that may be found in certain soaps may also strip the finish, so we strongly recommend keeping these are kept in water-tight containers if left sitting on the timber surface.

Polishing

To care for your furniture and joinery we recommend regular cleaning with a microfibre cloth to remove dust and grit that may cause fine scratching over time.

Rejuvenation

Should the furniture become faded or dull, after continual usage or incorrect maintenance over time, it may need some form of rejuvenation. In a commercial situation, this rejuvenation could be weekly, monthly or whenever it is considered necessary.

Read our DIY guide for minor repairs >

For areas which are scratched or badly worn, the timber will need sanding to remove the scratches, and another coat of hard wax oil applied. We recommend this level of maintenance is carried out by a professional. 

Looking for something special?

Did you have an idea for a piece of furniture that you wanted to bring to life? Or perhaps you just needed a tweak on one of our existing designs? Get in touch, we might be able to help.

Get in touch

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