While wooden bar stools can run the gambit from modern to traditional, the most popular material to make these amazing pieces of furniture out of is still wood. What makes wood such a wonderful material for stools like these is the fact that it can be shaped, stained and painted to look like almost anything. Regardless of what your bar stools look like, there are some common sense tips you should follow to help extend the life of your purchase for as long as humanly possible. You don’t have to be a furniture expert to care for your wood stools like one, all it takes is a dedication to your purchase and a bit of good luck.

Cleaning

When most of us clean our homes, we think about dusting and vacuuming, but cleaning our wood furniture is important, as well. In most cases, a warm, damp cloth can remove most headaches, but you may need to resort to a stronger formula if a stain has been sitting for a while. Choose a household cleaner that is effective without being abrasive, so discount any cleaner that contains ammonia or alcohol. Treat the wood as if it were more fragile than it really is and it will stand up to the test of time.

Placement

Believe it or not, but where you place your wooden bar stools goes a long way in determining how long it lasts. Two areas that you want to avoid as much as possible is in direct, harsh sunlight and near air vents. Direct sunlight can fade and warp your wood and the results can be irreversible. Air vents and constant, drastic temperature changes can do the same thing, so keeping your wood furniture in consistently warm or cool areas will help prevent lasting damage.

Polish

When you choose to polish your wood belongings, you are helping to condition the wood, and that adds significant life to everything you own. Most of us have heard of products like Pledge, and while using Pledge is better than nothing, you would be better served using something like Old English that contains even more in the way of natural oils. When you condition your wood it gives off a shine and sheen that you’ll love to come home to day after day. Wood isn’t that different than a person: when it is happy and healthy, it shines.

Misc.

If you have chosen a set of wooden bar stools to use both outdoors and indoors, make sure you keep a cloth by the door so you can do a quick wipe of the legs and feet before you place them back indoors. It is extremely important that you never leave the wood wet or even damp. If you are brining them in after a rainstorm, make sure you completely towel off the stool. Finally, if your stools are showing signs of age, they can be refinished, repainted and even reupholstered. Your old furniture pieces can be reborn and you can get an entire new set of usage from them without having to buy new pieces every few years.