Caring for Your Walnut Wood Furniture

Caring for Your Walnut Wood Furniture

One of the major appeals of using Walnut Wood for furniture creation, is the beautiful way it polishes to a luxurious, velvety finish. Many of the JJ Crown furniture pieces stocked by Pieces of Joy, are crafted from walnut wood, making them beautiful quality statement pieces that stand the test of time.

To ensure your walnut furniture remains as lovely long-term, as it is when you first bring it home, it requires a little TLC to keep it in pristine condition.

For those lucky enough to own furniture made from walnut wood, we’d like to suggest the following ways to care for your pride and joy:-

• Avoid abrasive cleaning products

• Dust with care

• Use Coasters, table runners and placemats

• Clean up spills immediately

• Select cleaning products accordingly

• Keep out of direct sunlight

Avoid abrasive cleaning products

At Pieces of Joy, we are proud stockists of the Australian made and owned Gilly’s range of furniture cleaning products, all of which are suitable for using on walnut wood furniture.

For those who prefer to use a traditional wax based product, Gilly Cream Polish is a light, creamy beeswax polish designed to nourish and protect a variety of timber furniture. It is superb on French polished pieces and buffs to a beautiful, high sheen.

An excellent alternative to waxing, if a high sheen is not required, Gilly’s Orange Oil has great cleaning properties and is exceptional for old neglected furniture as it both cleans and restores. Used as an all-purpose timber and cane furniture maintenance oil, Orange Oil is 100% plant based and food safe, contains no silicone and smells wonderful. It darkens the timber as if it were wet - the natural orange colour does not stain.

And finally, if your beloved walnut furniture does receive some light damage, Gilly’s Scratch Cover can disguise scuffs and scratches on bamboo and timber furniture and floors. It is available in two shades: 'Light' for lighter timbers such as oak, blackbutt and pine; and 'Dark' for a variety of darker timbers such as jarrah, merbau and blue-gum.

Dust with care

When dry dusting walnut wood, we suggest you use a microfiber tack cloth. Use a light touch and do not rub the cloth forcibly over the surface. Alternatively, dampen a soft cloth with a dusting product to avoid creating microscopic surface dry scratches.

Always lift vases, centrepieces, picture frames and ornaments, instead of pushing them aside while dusting or polishing.

Use coasters, table-runners, and placemats

Walnut dining room tables and other pieces, such as sideboards, coffee tables and side tables are vulnerable to scratches if not protected from everyday use.

Use tablecloths, place mats and coasters to protect the flat surfaces wherever possible.

Clean up spills immediately 

Wipe spills off immediately to prevent milky stains forming on the surface of your walnut furniture. Do not place hot cups, pots or serving dishes directly onto walnut surfaces; they can discolour lacquer or resin-based finishes and cause waxes to melt.

Select cleaning products appropriately

Protect wooden walnut finishes by applying furniture wax or silicone-based polish to the surface, twice a year. Don't wax walnut pieces finished with polyurethane varnish, as this could cause unsightly wax build-up.

If you have any oiled walnut furniture, apply a thin film of linseed oil once a year and rub it into the wood until the oily feel disappears.

Keep out of direct sunlight

Do not use walnut wood furniture outside and try to place it away from direct sunlight indoors, unless you are happy for the original colour to lighten.

Unlike many woods that darken with age, walnut wood lightens over time, a process that can be slowed by keeping it away from direct sun.