Caring for a Cherry Entertainment Center

You've just purchased a cherry entertainment center that you love, but with a few nicks and scratches, it needs a little TLC to return the cherry wood to its original state. Learning how to restore and maintain it will help it last for many years to come.

Restore Your Cherry Entertainment Center

If you buy a brand new entertainment center, then restoring it won't be an issue. However, if you found a piece of cherry furniture that is a little beat up, but would make a great TV stand, here are some tips to get it back to tip-top shape.

Clean It

The first thing you'll need to do for your new entertainment center is get rid of any built up dust or grime. Give it a once over with a damp, soft cloth and a mild soap made for wood, such as Murphy's Oil Soap.

Cracks and Scratches

Extremes in temperature and humidity cause any wood to expand and contract, often creating cracks in the wood, while scratches are simply inevitable. The following are a couple tricks you can use to fix wood entertainment centers:

• Use humidity to your advantage by putting some water in the crack or large scratch. Cover it with a soft cloth then press down on the cloth with a warm iron until the water evaporates. This causes the wood to expand and fill in the empty space.
• For minor scratches in cherry wood, fixing them can be as easy as applying darkened iodine or a red shoe polish. Rub it into the scratch with a soft cloth and watch the scratch disappear.

Stains

Stains in wood entertainment centers can be caused by many things: rings left by glasses, burns or spills. These stains can often be fixed by using items found right in your home. Rub mayonnaise or butter (anything oily) into the stain and let it sit overnight. When you wipe it away, the stain in your cherry wood should be gone. For burns, try using toothpaste.

Preserve the Beauty of Your Entertainment Center

Once you've gotten rid of any nasty scratches or stains, and your cherry wood is looking beautiful, you'll want to make sure it stays that way.

Polish

Cleaning it often with a mild soap will help your entertainment center maintain its natural luster, but it's also a good idea to polish it periodically. For cherry wood, use a lemon oil polish or a linseed oil.

Spills

Liquid in general is never good for any kind of wood entertainment center, so when a spill happens, make sure you clean it up quickly to avoid a stain. If a stain does appear, follow the steps mentioned earlier to keep it from staying in the wood.

Weather

You can't control the weather outside, but you do have some control over what happens in your home. Keep your entertainment center out of direct sunlight and don't place it in front of anything that might dry it out, such as a fireplace or a radiator. If you do live in an area with extremes in humidity levels, consider purchasing a humidifier or dehumidifier, depending on your needs.

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