When you purchase a new oak table for your home you should not just think of this as any wood table that gets plopped down.
Oak is a unique wood and as such needs special treatment as you get to know it and it's place with your family The first thing you need to learn about an oak table is how to take care of it.
All tables have different methods of care and it is very possible that the manufacturer of the oak table you have purchased has already offered up a sheet of care instructions for the table.
If so, now is a good time to read this.
Sometimes some of those care instructions are things you need to do immediately upon bringing the table home.
If you wait to read the instructions you may miss this step and cause damage to your table.
You should take the time to appreciate the grain of your oak table and any decorative touches that grain has caused for you to enjoy.
If your table has been left natural or just has a simple stain on it, this grain is likely a very attractive part of the table and will be something that you want others to be able to appreciate.
That means you need to make sure you are protecting this surface.
So, if your table does have a varnish or wax finish, you want to make sure that you maintain this and keep it up at regular intervals so damage cannot be done to the table's surface.
Do you know how to clean your oak table? Well the first thing you need to do is make sure to dust it regularly.
While many people don't think dust is a big issue rather than being an eyesore, the reality is that dust can do a lot of damage to a piece of furniture.
Within that dust are particles of dirt, sand and other debris.
Over time if it is left on the surface of your oak table, that dust can end up scratching into the surface of your finish or even the wood itself.
Additionally, if any moisture gets in contact with that dust, you now no longer have dust, but a muddy substance that is going to attach itself to your table.
This is going to require a deeper cleaning to get rid of it and more of your time.
It would have been much better to take care of dusting in the first place.
Sometimes dusting isn't enough.
It could be there were grimy hands on the table or that something spilled across the surface that has made it a little messier than you would like to see it.
If that is the case then it's time to pull out soap and water.
Now there are wood soaps on the market that are meant to be used to clean wood and can also help protect the surface.
If you really want to baby your oak table, this may be the way to go.
Don't soak the rag.
It just needs to be damp enough to have a little moisture that can pull up any dirt that is sticking to the table surface.
Once you wipe it clean allow it to completely dry before putting anything back on the table.