While carvings on wood furniture may look lovely and ornate, keeping them looking nice requires a little additional attention, since dust tends to accumulate in all the nooks and crevices. As time passes, that grime and dust may get caked on, which makes it much harder to remove. Avoiding waxy cleaners and using a soft brush on carved areas helps keep individuals carvings looking their best.
To Dust is essential
A thorough dusting every few weeks, or as required, keeps those carvings clean and smooth. A feather duster or soft fabric brushed over the entire wood slice removes the majority of the dust. At the carved areas, brush a few times with the feather duster. Push a corner of a soft fabric into crevices, if needed, to remove remaining dust.
Gunk Begone
If the carved areas are neglected for quite a while, the dust may seem like baked on. Push the corner of a business card or piece of thick paper into a narrow carved area or crevice to jar some of their debris loose. A toothpick may also be utilized, carefully, for the locations that seem extremely hard to wash. A soft toothbrush can also help remove debris from those grooves and crevices
Homemade Cleaner
A homemade cleaner includes 1 part gum turpentine to 3 parts boiled linseed oil. Shake the mixture up, then float it atop a shallow amount of warm water in a disposable container. Dipping a soft fabric into just the oily mixture on top of the water prepares the cleaning option; rub the grain of the wood, with a cotton swab or toothbrush to use the solution over the seams.
Scratch Removal
If a splitting looks scratched in a place you can achieve, rub it with walnut meat or a crayon that is slightly lighter than the wood’s color, followed by another crayon slightly darker than the original. A soft cloth or cotton swab rubs off the excess crayon wax. If the area is a bit difficult to apply pressure to using a crayon, use a permanent marker matching the wood’s color. Some markers have nice hints that allow reaching into tight spaces.