Caring For Natural Wood Furniture

So you’ve purchased some natural wood furniture—what now? In order to enjoy your furniture for as long as possible, some care is necessary. While some woods are great for outdoor use and may need little upkeep, others may need application of natural oils or finishes to extend their lifetime and may only be suited to indoor life. Though tung oil leaves an extremely shiny finished that gives a “wetted” look to your sustainable wood furniture, it is highly resistant to moisture and won’t darken over time. Natural teak oil is also water resistant and effectively preserves the wood it’s applied to. Eucalyptus wood needs little care, because it’s durable enough to use outside, but you can apply teak oil to enhance its natural color.

Mango wood furniture, on the other hand, is often made from softer wood closer to the core of the tree, so it’s more vulnerable. It’s best to treat it with a tough finish like teak or tung oil. Mango wood doesn’t hold up as well in inclement weather, so you should probably limit use to indoors. Teak is thought to be one of the strongest woods in the world, and is highly durable. Because it’s practically impervious to water, it’s an ideal material to use in very damp areas, like a spa or bathroom, or outdoors. Monkey pod wood comes from another tropical tree, and though it’s very strong it’s not as water resistant as teak, so it’s best to use your monkey pod furniture and accents indoors.

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