10
CARING FOR YOUR NEW OAK FURNITURE
Your oak furniture is pre-treated with Becker Acroma furniture oil during manufacture which
helps to protect and nourish the oak. The oiled oak finish brings out the beauty of the natural
oak. This furniture oil will help to protect the oak from light spills and dirt but over time the
layer of oil will dry out so some ongoing light maintenance is recommended to keep your new
furniture in good condition and more resistant to any liquid spills. We recommend that a new
coat of furniture oil is applied to your oiled oak furniture at least twice a year but further
treatments may be required depending on the temperature and sunlight in the room that it’s
used in. On some occasions the oil may have started to dry out a little by the time it gets
delivered if the item has been in storage for more than a few weeks so the product may
sometimes benefit from a fresh re oiling soon after delivery.
There are many types of oil that can be used and most good DIY stores will stock Raw Linseed
Oil which is what we recommend that you use. Raw Linseed Oil has a longer drying time than
the boiled variety but it is much safer to use on dining furniture as it contains no additives.
However, always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions to check suitability. Alternatively, a
good quality Olive Oil will also do a good enough job. The oil is best applied with the soft side of
a kitchen sponge across the surface and then wiped off with some soft kitchen paper towels to
remove the any excess oil that has not been absorbed around 10 - 15 minutes later. This allows
enough time for the oil to penetrate into the oak and by wiping off the excess oil the surface
should be nice and uniform. Take care to avoid spilling oil onto the floor or chairs around the
table.
Small water marks or any dirty marks on the surface should be possible to be removed by lightly
rubbing in the direction of the grain with some very fine wet and dry sandpaper for a few
seconds (only ever use a 400 grade sandpaper). Never use a coarser grain of sandpaper. This
process can also be used to reduce raised grain following drying of the oil or moisture
absorption. Oil should then be re-applied as described above to re-seal the surface.
Wipe up any spills immediately with a dry lint free cloth. Direct bright sunlight and a hot room
will speed up the rate at which the oil will dry out from the oak surface. Always use protective
mats for plates, cups and glasses to remove the risk of water marks.