Caring for handmade wooden objects

Why handmade wooden objects need different care

Handmade wooden objects are not anonymous furniture surfaces. In intarsia, veneer and small objects, changes of material, joints, edges and finish lie visibly on the surface. Care therefore has to do more than remove dirt: it has to keep the effect of the material.

Mass-produced furniture surfaces are often designed for the greatest standard resistance. Handmade objects may look more natural and stay closer to the wood. That quality calls for more thought about water, heat, sun, chemicals and abrasion.

How veneer surfaces age

Veneer is real wood in a thin layer. It reacts to light, moisture, temperature and use. A well-made veneer surface can stay stable and beautiful for a long time, but it should not be treated like a thick plastic coating.

Ageing often shows subtly: a slight shift in colour, a change in reflection, finer marks of use or a softer feel. These changes can look dignified as long as moisture, dirt and abrasion stay under control.

Moisture, sunlight and temperature

Wood reacts to humidity. Strong swings can create stress, especially in objects with several materials or layers of veneer. Very dry air, high humidity or direct wetness are therefore unfavourable.

Sunlight changes the colours of wood over time. Wenge and oak can develop differently, so geometric contrasts slowly shift (UV light and ageing). Temperature peaks, spots near a radiator or by a window in direct sun should also be avoided.

Cleaning: dust, a microfibre cloth and water

For normal care, a dry, soft microfibre cloth or a very soft cotton cloth is usually enough. Dust should be removed without pressure so that no fine scratches form. On small objects it pays to clean slowly along the surfaces rather than rubbing hard.

Water should be used sparingly. If a slightly damp cloth is needed, it must be well wrung out, and the surface should be wiped dry straight away. Standing water, wet rims and cleaning sprays directly on the object are to be avoided. For Reihax pieces, dusting with a soft, dry cloth is enough.

Avoiding harsh chemicals and the wrong care

Alcohol, solvents, scouring agents, glass cleaners and harsh household cleaners can attack the finish and the wood surface. They can change the sheen, make matt surfaces patchy or visually disturb edges and joints.

Well-meant furniture polishes are not automatically suitable either. If the finish is not known, no unfamiliar care product should be applied. With oil, wax and shellac especially, care depends heavily on the system on the piece.

How oil, wax and shellac age

Oiled surfaces can look drier over time and, depending on use, may need aftercare. Waxed surfaces can keep a soft feel, but become more matt or more polished where they are touched. Shellac can keep a fine depth, but reacts more sensitively to certain kinds of moisture and alcohol.

Matt surfaces age differently from satin ones. They can show small shiny spots where they are touched often. That is not necessarily damage, but a sign that use and finish are working together.

How geometric contrasts look over the years

The colours of wood do not stay entirely static. Light, oxygen, use and finish can change depth of colour and reflection. In geometric intarsia this matters, because contrast and readability are part of the design.

Dark woods can darken or get lighter, light woods usually become warmer and more yellow. A good design allows for these changes: it does not rely on short-lived effects, but on robust relationships between materials.

Where to keep a piece, and looking after it in the long run

Small wooden objects should not stand permanently in direct sun, on radiators, in very damp rooms or near strong swings of temperature. A stable environment is better than perfect single values.

Long-term care means above all observation: does the surface look dry, patchy, dull or uneven? Are the edges clean? Has the sheen changed in places? Only then should you decide whether aftercare is needed.

Looking after Reihax pieces

Every Reihax piece, the pen holders as well as the wall art, is finished with hard-wax oil in a satin sheen, in two thin coats. In normal use, dusting with a soft, dry cloth is enough; re-oiling is not needed. The woods are allowed to age naturally; how their contrast shifts as they do is described under UV light and ageing. If a surface does get damaged, hard-wax oil can be renewed locally or across a whole side (repairing a finish).

The aim is not an artificially sealed look. Wenge should keep its depth, oak should carry warmth and lightness, and the finish should protect without covering up the wood. That way an object stays readable and true to its material for years.

Judging the condition of a piece

To judge the condition of a wooden object, go through these points:

• Material: species, veneer, substrate and visible edges.
• Finish: oil, wax, shellac, a matt finish or a hybrid.
• Ageing by light: the expected shift in colour and change in contrast.
• Behaviour with moisture: risks from water, humidity and changes of temperature.
• Areas of use: touched surfaces, edges, places where it is gripped and where it rests.
• Care interval: cleaning, observation, possible aftercare.
• Warning signs: marks, open edges, shiny spots on matt surfaces, glue lines, cracks.
• Aim: natural ageing without losing depth, contrast and geometric clarity.