Indian furniture is a lifetime asset and the pieces are known to last for generations when you take proper care of them.
Since Indian wooden furniture boasts of exquisite craftsmanship, it's necessary to polish the furniture at least once in two years so that they retain their craftsmanship and continue to shine.
Keep in mind that polishing Indian wooden furniture doesn't mean that you don't dust your furniture regularly.
Cleaning activities must be carried out continuously.
Following are some of the common polishes for Indian wood Bee-wax polish Bee-wax is produced by the honey bees and has been used for long to polish Indian wooden furniture, especially finished and fine wood.
It's a soft substance that usually melts easily under heat and never dries up to be a hardened finish.
As a result, it doesn't provide the furniture an adequate protection from steam, heat and chemical spills.
However, over the years, bee-wax has been generously mixed with various other harder waxes, like carbuna, to get a more durable and modern Indian furniture polish.
Such additions have significantly enhanced the ability of bee-wax to protect Indian wood and Indian furniture manufacturers are increasingly recommending bee-wax for its intended purpose.
Aerosols and spray polish While aerosols and spray polishes are the handiest, they cause the most damage to Indian wooden furniture.
They comprise silicone oil and other materials and ingredients that damage the wood.
Besides, many sprays are known to damage lacquers and varnishes.
Emulsion polish These are oils, waxes and other organic solvents mixed to water-based solutions and can be easily applied on Indian furniture.
These polishes can clean extremely well and also leaves a good shine on the surface of the furniture.
The shiny effect, however, lasts only till the time the liquid dries.
Oil polish Oil polishes are usually available in two types i.
e.
drying oils and non-drying oils and are mostly used to apply the final finish.
Non-drying oils include lemon oil, paraffin and mineral oils and Indian furniture manufacturers consider these to be less harmful when compared to the drying oils.
Some oils stay on the surface of the wooden furniture and tend to attract dust, dirt and other contaminants on the wet surface.
Drying oils, like walnut and linseed, dry when applied to the wooden surface because of oxidation.
It's a chemical reaction over time and difficult to remove.
Semisolid polish Indian furniture manufacturers consider semisolid polished to be the best.
These polishes are popularly known as paste waxes and cause no damage to the Indian wooden furniture.
Not only the Indian furniture manufacturers, furniture conservators and experts recommend semisolid polishes as well.
Applying such polishes involve great physical labor.
These polishes are both durable and stable and can be used once in a couple of years.
In fact, as most of these polishes contain wax in a good degree, they mustn't be applied too frequently as that may lead to a wax buildup on the surface of the wood.
Take proper care of your Indian wooden furniture and they'll last for centuries.