How to Treat Wood Furniture So It Doesn't Crack

Wood furniture naturally loses its natural oils through continuous use and is susceptible to cracking if the wood dries out. Cracks in your wood furniture drastically decrease its lifespan and are often caused by a low-humidity environment, which saps moisture from the wood. The key to maintaining your wood furniture is regular polishing, which replenishes oils lost over time. Wood-polishing products that contain linseed oil restore moisture without leaving residue that can damage the wood.

Things You'll Need

• Boiled linseed oil
• Turpentine
• Can
• Cooking pot
• Rubber gloves
• 2 soft, lint-free cleaning cloths

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Wear rubber gloves to protect your skin.

   • 2

     Mix 2 tbsp. of turpentine with 3 tbsp. of boiled linseed oil in a can. Add 1 quart of hot water.

   • 3

     Fill a cooking pot with water. Heat the water on the stove until it boils. Hold the can over the hot water to heat the ingredients in the can.

   • 4

     Set the can down and submerge the cleaning cloth into the cleaning solution. Squeeze out excess cleaning solution and wipe down the wood furniture.

   • 5

     Re-wet the cleaning cloth and squeeze out excess moisture. Continue wiping down the wood furniture. Wipe the wood with a dry cloth to remove excess moisture.