Live edge or natural edge is seen as a luxurious style of furniture from a contemporary perspective, but its origins go way back to the 1600s in America. Settlers had to be quick to establish and erect properties to create communities. Furniture had to be created in an efficient and practical manner, which led them to use unfinished wood and basic pieces.
The practice of using unfinished wood in America started becoming less needed as materials and machines progressed. As the world is growing toward more environment-friendly and natural-looking furniture, Live Edge made a pretty strong comeback. If you’re the owner of live edge wood pieces, you might want to make sure you know how to maintain them properly. There are a few differences between conventional and live edge furniture that you need to know about to avoid damaging it. We’ve listed a few tips that should help you care for live edge wood slabs.
Ways to Care for Live Edge Wood Slabs
Here are some ways to care live edge wood slabs.
Use Microfiber Towels
A lot of people mistakenly think that any towel would do the job of cleaning a live edge piece. While they may look resilient, abrasive or rough towels can do a lot of damage to their looks in the long run. While it won’t structurally damage it, it can still chip away its beauty. Microfiber towels are the best type of towels that you can use to safely remove any spills or routinely clean them. Further, microfiber is a plush material that’s quite soft on the wood, yet it’s a very strong absorbent of fluids and can hold dust without sprinkling it on the rest of the piece.
Keep Live Edge Water-Proof and Free of Stains
Live wood edge pieces are quite attractive and appealing, which makes them easily tarnished by water spots and ugly stains; it’s a waste of beauty. You need to look for an approach that prevents water spots in the first place. A simple addition to your live edge slabs would be a couple of fancy-looking coasters that add some beauty to it and plenty of protection from hot or cold drinks.
Accidental spills are bound to happen, and that’s completely fine as long as you are quick to clean them up. It’s not uncommon for some owners of live edge to add a chemical seal that protects the pieces from stains and water damage. As mentioned on Makerswoodshop.com, if you are working on a live edge wood slab. You might want to keep it away from direct sunlight and elements of nature because the damage will creep up quickly, especially when the moisture content is high. Heat and humidity are the sworn enemies of live edge wood.
Use Natural Cleaning Materials
Since we’re dealing with a natural and organic piece of furniture. It’s always better to go for products or materials that are also natural. Vinegar happens to be one of the best products you can use on live edge furniture. Its antibacterial properties make it a very good cleaning tool because it will take care of the built-up gunk in nooks and crannies. To create a practical vinegar solution, mix vinegar and warm water in a 1:1 ratio. Use a microfiber cloth dipped in the solution after wringing it until it’s damp and proceed to gently wipe down the live edge slab. You should focus on the areas that are rarely cleaned or hard-to-reach locations. Because they always contain the biggest bacterial or gunk build-up.
Avoid Wood Polish
It’s not uncommon for people to resort to wood polish to clean their live edge pieces. But that is often a big mistake. Artificial wood polish is mainly designed with finished wood in mind. So when it’s used on live edge slabs, it starts getting into the cracks and rugged lines that define it. After it gets inside, it’s incredibly difficult to remove such small particles from these locations. If left unchecked, it will make a live edge countertop or table gunky and older. So stay vigilant when it comes to wood polish.
Use Conditioning Cream for Polishing
If you have had your live edge piece for a while. It may be time to give it a good polish to make it look as fresh as possible. Polishing the live edge with specifically designed conditioning cream will ensure that it stays resistant to scratches and seal any minor cracks on the surface. You need to be careful not to leave any excess polishing cream to seep inside the cracks and holes of the piece because it can ruin the aesthetic after a while.
Conclusion
Live edge wood is pretty sensitive despite its tough looks. Whether you own a piece of live edge furniture or you’re still working with a slab. You need to make sure to provide enough care if you want it to stay beautiful and stylish. Once you get your hands on a live edge piece, always keep routine maintenance in mind.