Oak Care
Oak is a natural material and is prone to slight movement and loss of moisture. Our tables are built to be with you and your family for many years, to be the heart of your home, and the centre of many happy memories. This guide will help you learn how to care for your new piece of Made in the Cellar furniture.
If these directions are not followed, your guarantee will be invalid. This means Made in the Cellar will not be able to help in the unlikely event that issues arise with your furniture. If you have any concerns about how to care for your furniture please contact us.
Preparing your home
Our wood is handpicked, kiln dried and manufactured in our workshop which has a moisture content of between 10%-14%. An average home’s moisture content is roughly 6% or lower.
You will need to let your table acclimatize to the change in atmosphere. Ideally in a cool room, slowly increase the heating temperature over a few weeks.
Oak is a natural material and is prone to slight movement and loss of moisture. Small amounts of movement can cause minor cracks but these are normal and can add to the rustic character of your furniture. Over time, the natural wood will darken, especially with exposure to sunlight.
- Turn all underfloor heating off, turn down your radiators and slowly increase the temperature over a few weeks.
- Keep your furniture out of direct sunlight.
- Use the suggested Rubio Monocoat cleaning and stain remover products on your Oak surface.
- Place your furniture near a direct heat source such as a radiator, oven, aga or fire place.
- Leave table settings or coverings on your table when not in use as these can leave marks if left for long periods of time.
- Table coverings left on a table over time may cause marks and/or exacerbate movement in the wood when their is not enough ventilation between the wood and protective cover.
How to Clean
Our Oak tops have been finished with Oil Plus 2C by Rubio Monocoat. This is a hardwax oil that is extremely hardwearing, solvent free and environmentally friendly. It is also heat and water resistant.
For the first week, you should avoid using any soaps or cleaners on your tabletop. Please just use a clean damp cloth with water only. Following this, we recommend purchasing the Rubio cleaners listed on our website.
For general cleaning, please just use warm water and a cloth. Dry your table thoroughly afterwards. It is not recommended to use Rubio Cleaners on your table more than once a week.
If you happen to get grease, limespot (water rings) or tannin marks on your table, we have all the relevant stain remover products listed.
Please don’t ever be tempted to use harsh, bleach based abrasive cleaners or scourers.
- Use a clean damp cloth to wipe your tabletop and wipe it dry afterwards.
- Only use water or Rubio products to clean your tabletop.
- Wipe up spills from food and drink straight away.
- Use coasters and placements to protect the natural wood.
- Use any abrasive, bleach based cleaners such as Dettol, Flash or even baby wipes.
- Excessive clean and rub down your tabletop.
- Leave spillages to sit on your tabletop for long periods of time e.g overnight.
What to Expect
We use character grade oak which is a natural material, full of knots and character. Small surface cracks can be expected, especially as your new furniture is adjusting to your home. These cracks often expand and contract due to moisture in the air and temperature.
If your notice a crack is getting larger or you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Overtime, your oak top will deepen in colour. This is due to exposure to sunlight. This is completely normal and often adds the character of your furniture.
Please remember to remove place settings from your table when it is not in use. These can sometimes leave lighter patches on your table. If this does happen, leave your table un-covered and the surface should even out in colour over 4 weeks.
Any discolouration caused by exposure to sunlight can be rectified by fully sanding back and re-finishing your table-top. Please follow our instructions to do so.
Patch Repairs
If later down the line you happen to get a stain that won’t come out, it is possible to do a patch repair using Spot Repair Oil 2C One Coat System.
Re-Fresh
We offer a range of cleaners and stain removers to help keep your Oak table looking fresh. Patch repair and full refinish oils can also be purchased here.
Re-Finish
If you want to fully re-finish your Oak top you must use the Universal Maintenance Oil 2 Mix.