So you’ve purchased your dream pine wardrobe for your bedroom, or perhaps you’ve got one already. What steps can you take to ensure it will last as long as possible and retain as much of its original appearance and quality as possible? Usually, manufacturers will provide their own instructions on this matter, but I’ll cover some general basics that will be widely applicable.

The first important thing to know is that pine actually breathes while sitting in your home. No, it’s not alive after the tree it comes from is cut down and processed. What do I mean by this then and what is the significance of this? Well, pine would react to changing temperature and humidity in its local environment. Specifically, it could experience shrinkage and expansion sometimes. In a moist environment, the wood would expand, bend and when subject to heat, it may shrink and crack. So, continuous and sudden fluctuations in temperature would be very bad for your pine furniture. A room with even temperature is ideal. Definitely avoid putting it next to a radiator or in direct sunlight. Also, on a related matter, try not to put hot or chilled things (e.g. hot coffee or iced long island tea) directly on the surface. A marking WILL be left there. Remember to always use a coaster or place mat with decent thickness.

Next is cleaning your beloved pine furniture. For general cleaning, it’s quite simple. A duster (or vacuum cleaner) and LIGHTLY damp cloth will do. I emphasize LIGHTLY because of the adverse effects of exposing pine to moisture mentioned earlier. Importantly, avoid applying soap, detergent agents of any sort and even water for that matter.

As for maintaining the unique finish of pine, refrain from using any polish with Silicon in them (just check the ingredient listing on the cleaning product) as well as aerosol sprays. The reason is because this type of furniture already has a natural stain and finish, and will react to a majority of man-made products.

On a less frequent basis, you may need to re-treat the surface of your wardrobe in order to maintain its character. If you’re nervous about this process, you can call in a professional. But it’s quite straightforward to do it yourself. Unperfumed block wax is the option to go for. Just rub that over the entire surface. After treatment, don’t worry if you notice that the surface is  slightly more waxier than before. This is fine since as I indicated earlier, the wood breathes.

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