How to Clean and Care for Wooden Bar Stools

Here at Bar Stool Home we offer Wooden bar stools in dozens of styles and designs. Some are sleek and smooth, finished with varnish and made to look modern, Scandinavian, or eclectic. Others are whitewashed or unfinished for a more industrial, coastal, or Hamptons style bar stool look. Even if your home is ultramodern in aesthetic, you can still find an ideal set of 4 bar stools that fits the rest of the home.

Wood is a popular choice for a reason. It's classic, fits in most designs, is flexible to work with, and makes for seating whether it's hot or cold. But wood is a natural material that requires specific care and precautions to look its best; otherwise, you'll find your wooden kitchen stools cracking, staining, or discolouring long before their warranty ends.

Here are some ways you can keep your wooden stools looking their best for years. Trust us, we're the experts when it comes to timber bar stools in Australia.

Water Drops are Your Enemy

It's perfectly fine to use a little bit of water to wipe down your wood swivel bar stools every few days. But we do mean only a little. Standing water left on wood tends to seep into the grain and leave visible water marks behind. The more persistent the water, the more dramatic the water damage. If you've ever seen water damage to a home after a storm or a flood, it's the same thing on a more dramatic scale.

We recommend not leaving anything wet on your Hamptons bar stools for long periods of time. For instance, if you have a water glass that's wet on the bottom set on its surface, you'll see the notorious ring-shaped water stain in no time. You absolutely do not want to leave your bar stools outdoors either, especially if they're in constant direct sunlight or open to the rain. Rain and sunlight will quickly turn your beautiful seating into a stained, rotting mess.

Water stains are hard to remove once they've set in, but you can clear them out with some gentle care. Mix equal parts olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice; then, gently apply the mixture to the water stain, following the grain of the wood. This should pull the excess moisture out of the wood and clear away the water stain.

Gentle Materials

When wiping down your wood swivel bar stools, it's important to be gentle with the wood. Use room temperature water when wiping them down. You'll also want to use a very soft, lint-free cloth. You don't want any kind of scratchy, rough material, since that can leave behind scratches that build up over time. Also, make sure to always follow the grain of the wood. Going against the grain can leave the surface uneven, and eventually even create splinters.

Keep Cleaning Simple

About 90% of wood cleaning and care doesn't need more than a bit of water. If it's being cleaned regularly, a damp soft cloth will get the job done. If you need to take care of a spill or want the occasional thorough cleaning, avoid using wood cleaners with silicone or wax in them. These will build up in the wood over time and leave a waxy surface behind on your bar stools.