How to protect wood dining table – easy tips to extend the life of your furniture

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How to protect wood dining table? A versatile piece like a solid wood table can be found in most homes. We can explain it by the excellent property of a dining table made of wood to be combined in almost every interior solution.

Unfortunately, even the maximum care for the table as protection and cleaning will not protect it from scratches, consequences, prevent water rings, and many other negative effects on the wood material, because the wooden dining table itself, although affordable, but somehow capricious in care and even simply clean. Such consequences not only affect the mood of the household but also spoil the overall interior solution.

If ​​you are thinking about purchasing a dining table, then you must first find out what material the wood table is made of. So, based on many years of experience, most professional interior designers advise purchasing a table made of solid wood, which has high strength and durability characteristics and can last more than one generation in your family`s dining room or kitchen table furniture.

This is explained by the fact that tightly fitting wood variations in a block of solid wood, significantly affect the strength of the dining table. Most likely, furniture made of plywood, chipboard, and MDF wood doesn’t add such special properties to the structure of an entire table, respectively, and doesn’t cope with its task with a bang.

However, don’t forget that despite the high strength properties, wood as a natural product for furniture for the manufacture of interior items requires some special solution.

Water rings and scratches can be masked with decorations, but this will not solve the problem itself and the destruction of the structure of the dining table.

To solve problems with a table, you should either ask the help of professionals or try to eliminate the consequences yourself.

By following these relevant tips, which suggested considering for happy owner of a wooden dining table will be able to maintain and extend the life of his dining room table. It’s all about how to protect dining tables, so let’s learn these details from this article. 

A wooden dining table can be either with polish, varnish, or even uncoated. It’s worth noting that any surface of a wood table requires some care, but let’s take a closer look.

How to protect wood dining table. Basic solutions: care and protect

It’s normal for a wooden dining table to show signs of wear and tear after a while. But what if they weren’t? No scratches and stains, no wood swelling and water rings on the cover, no color change after heat, no any surprises under table runner… So, just a few basic recommendations for every day can increase the life of your wooden table and save you the opportunity to not see cosmetic damage and structural damage on the dining table as well. The advantage of these basic furniture guidelines is that they are absolutely effortless and time-consuming and will protect your table from the destructive processes of tables.

Polished tables require special care because, under the influence of water and steam, the polishing layer can be destroyed very quickly.

How to protect wood dining table. White circles and spots

In case of exposure to water and steam on the top of the dining table, which prevent water rings, effects can be found, which indicate damage to the wood dining table polish or varnish, but not to the structure of the wood. To get rid of white circles on the dining table, you need to use an iron and a piece of natural cloth. It should be carried out on the fabric with an ironing device without a steam mode. Perhaps the procedure should be repeated several times on your tables.

Grease stains

It should be noted that the fight against grease stains should begin immediately until the grease begins to deform the structure of the table. To clean the table from grease stains, you need to prepare an effective substance: warm beer, 20 grams of wax, and a tablespoon of sugar. Boil the ingredients in a water bath before surface treatment.

Heat stains

  The category of the table-owner of such a deformation should include the kitchen table. Such things aren’t easy to remove, and sometimes they cannot be corrected at all. But to try to get rid of such things, you should lubricate the stain on the dining table with gasoline and leave it overnight. In the morning, you need to polish the damaged area to protect the top. Salt and vegetable oil can also help in the fight against whitish spots.

How to protect wood dining table: Wax stains

Such things are very familiar to those who like to burn wax candles on the dining table during special dinners. First, you should clean the table of wax residue left, then soak a cloth in gasoline and wipe the place of the dining table. If necessary, the procedure can be repeated.

• Before you start placing your new wood table, identify nearby heat sources and find the right location. Avoid small areas near a fireplace or radiator. Direct heat from artificial heat sources, as well as direct sunlight, can adversely affect the structure of the wood table fibers from which the surface of the tabletop is made. In addition to structural damage, the sun’s rays will also affect the entire table: the natural color will fade or discolor. It is worth noting that changing the natural color of the wood, in most cases, is an irreversible process.
• If you are a happy owner of a sliding dining room table and your wooden table comes with removable cornices, you need to place the cornices in a horizontal position to avoid deformation. It should be added that the air humidity for the cornices and the table should be the same, so it is advisable to place them in the same room.
• Moisture is a powerful destroyer of wood, so taking care of the tabletop should also be your responsibility: so, if something spills on the tabletop while you eat or some dishes with food are left on the tabletop, it should be removed immediately with a cloth. So, if you leave liquid on the surface of the wood furniture, it will first begin to change the structure of the wood finish with trapped water inside of the wood tables, and then come to the destruction of the wood table. Therefore, careful handling of utensils, liquids, and food, as well as the absence of moisture, will prevent water rings on the surface and other consequences on wood tables.
• In order to protect the wood finish of your new table, be sure to use napkins when you eat and pick up a tablecloth. Make sure that sharp objects of your food don’t come into contact to avoid scratches on the surface of the tabletop.
• Don’t place hot pans and serving dishes on the surface of the wood table. If there is a need to put something that gives heat, be sure to use thermal wipes or coasters or even thermal glass which will provide good prevention to protect wood furniture from the heat effects.
• Don’t forget to use coasters for food plates and water glasses on your furniture as wooden tables while you eat. Hot dishes and drinks can greatly damage the structure of the surface of the tabletop, as can moisture. Use a special plastic or glass cover to protect your table from possible scratches and white rings.

Wax or oil coating for a wood table, although it requires maintenance, greatly improves the protective properties of the wooden dining table because of great wax protective possibilities. The wax treatment for the dining table should be done every 3-6 months. Opt for natural products: bees wax, carnauba wax, or even wax for a dining table that combines their best qualities. Avoid wax products containing silicone in wax as it will stain your solid wooden table.

Don’t ignore care solutions when cleaning a wooden table: harsh chemicals should be replaced with a natural, ordinary microfiber cloth that will not spoil the structure of the dining table.

How to protect wood dining table: Maintaining the cleaning process of wood tables

It’s worth mentioning separately the cleaning of the wood furniture because the dining table is the place where the whole family gathers. Very carefully you need to select dish soap and soft cloth that will protect the table from dust, stains, and scratches.

Accidental scratches and stains on your wooden dining table can be removed with a wipe with vinegar, diluted detergent, or other liquids. It’s worth adding, that the scratches on the wood table, which seems to be an impossible task, are completely cleaned. And here is the next instruction.

 You can save wood tables from scratches by sanding a small area in the direction of the fibers of the wood. It’s worth choosing the right grain of sandpaper so as not to spoil the process. So, light damage is removed with fine sandpaper with a grain of 180, then with lighter sandpaper with a grain of 240.

If the scratches are significant, it may make sense to walk with paper with a grain of 120. Upon completion of the work, make cleaning of the surface of the wood dining table from dust with warm water and you can start applying oil, varnish, or wax to the wood table.

Read also: Refinish teak dining table

How to protect wood dining table: Vinegar and olive oil

The second way you can keep your wood dining table from scratches and stains is to work with vinegar and olive oil. By the way, oil is added to vinegar in order, to ensure the safety of the structure of the wood tabletop: together these two ingredients clean the table from scratches.

   Remember, that before starting work on the table, it’s better to first carry out a test application on a fragment of the surface of the table. So, to simply clean the scratches with these ingredients, you need to:

• 100 ml of vinegar must be mixed with 200 ml of olive oil in a common bowl;
• Dip a soft cloth into a bowl of liquid solution and then squeeze out excess moisture;

It is necessary to place a microfiber cloth on the scratches and wipe in a circular motion, then go through the grain;

Leave the solution for 2 minutes on the wood table and then dry the dining table till the moisture dissapears.

The sealing surface of the dining table with wax

It’s impossible not to mention the most popular sealant for wood protection in an article about proper care for a wooden table. There are a number of sealers that can do the job, but if the problem also includes “no discoloration of the tabletop”, then wood furniture wax is the best solution. That is why step-by-step instructions on how to seal from the air, dust, moisture, and direct sunlight rays are the best that can be found here to protect your table:

1. Make cleaning the dining table
   Wax as a sealant requires a thorough cleaning of the surface before application. You can easily wipe the table with warm water and diluted detergent. Next, the table needs to wipe with warm water and a cloth, remove dust and water and allow it to dry.
   5. Prepare wax, brushes, and workspace
2. To apply wax, you can use a lint-free cloth or a special brush with concave bristles.
   5. Work with a thin layer of wax
3. By moving back and forth in the direction of the wood fibers, the wax should be evenly applied. Remember that you don’t need a lot of wax – the layer should be thin!
   5. Look after brushes
4. Make sure that there is no fluff from the brushes on the table until it dries completely. After covering, the surface of the entire tabletop, wipe the wooden table with a lint-free cloth to remove excess wax.
   5. Please wait for it to get dry and apply a few more layers
      Wait for the wax to dry (overnight) and apply thin additional layers, removing excess wax. If you want the surface to shine, then the tabletop needs to be polished with a lint-free cloth. Next, you need to wait for complete drying, which takes 2-3 days and after that, you can use a wooden table and even cover it.
      At the end of…Now, when we know great solutions how to protect the wooden table in all details, you can relax. The next such procedure will be needed in a year or two. We hope that our article has clarified and the wooden table no longer scares you.

FAQs

Conclusion

In conclusion, safeguarding your wood dining table is a simple yet effective way to preserve its beauty and longevity. By implementing a combination of protective measures, such as using tablecloths, applying finishes, and avoiding direct sunlight, you can enjoy your table’s timeless elegance for years to come.