Wooden bookcases add warmth and function to any home while also showing your love for traditional furniture designs.
But such furniture pieces require specific care to last for decades. Because, unlike other material furniture, wood reacts to sunlight, moisture, and even daily use.
In this guide, we will show you 8 simple tips to care for your wood bookcases so that your wooden furniture may last for decades to come.
Why Wooden Bookcases Demand Special Care
Wood breathes and changes—it's not unchanging like metal or plastic. This natural quality means your bookcase responds to its surroundings, like temperature, humidity, and so on.
Sunlight poses another threat: UV rays steadily fade wood's rich color, particularly damaging pieces near windows.
Daily family life adds further challenges. A bumped toy can scratch surfaces, while spilled juice left unaddressed may stain or swell the wood. These reactions aren't defects—they're inherent to real wood. Understanding this helps explain why wooden bookcases need different care than other furniture.
Moreover, these risks matter more for parents and guardians. A warped shelf in a bookcase with doors might prevent the doors from closing properly. A narrow bookcase in a humid hallway could develop mold. Even sturdy designs like metal bookcases with wood shelves need attention, as the wood parts remain vulnerable.
That's why you need to learn to care for your solid wood bookcases to help prevent damage. Let's check out how we can do that in the next section of the blog.
8 Care and Maintenance Tips for Your Wooden Bookcases
The only way for any wood piece to last is to care for it. In the same way, proper care of wooden bookcases will keep them safe and functional for daily family use. The following practical steps will help you prevent damage while accommodating busy households.
1. Dust Weekly with Soft Cloths
Dust particles on any wood furniture act like sandpaper as they slowly scratch finishes. You should gently wipe your wooden bookcases with the microfiber cloth to preserve the wood’s surface. And for more detailed designs like arched bookcases, try using a soft brush while cleaning to reach carved areas.
2. Clean Spills Immediately
As wood absorbs liquids quickly, this will cause stains or swelling on your bookcases. That's why you should blot your wooden furniture right away to prevent permanent damage.
You can use a dry cloth to clean spills on your furniture. And for sticky messes, you can lightly dampen the cloth with water and mild soap and clean your furniture. Then dry it thoroughly with another clean, dry cloth. This will prevent stains on open bookcases where spills are more likely.
3. Control Sunlight Exposure
UV rays fade wood 10x faster than regular light, as they dry out wood furniture and bleach finishes. Moreover, these rays fade wood finishes fastest on pieces like open bookcases with constant exposure.
You should always try to position your glass door bookcases away from windows or use UV-filtering curtains to protect both wood and contents. You can also rotate decorative items seasonally to avoid sunlight exposure on your wooden furniture.
4. Manage Humidity Levels
You should try and keep humidity between 40-45% all year round in your home. As wood swells in high humidity, this will cause warped doors. On the other hand, if humidity is too low, it will cause cracks in your narrow wooden bookcases.
You should place narrow wooden bookcases at least 2 inches from the walls for air circulation. And use a small dehumidifier near wooden bookcases with doors in damp rooms to prevent swelling.
5. Polish Surfaces Seasonally
You should apply wood polish every 3-4 months after cleaning. As polish replenishes oils, it prevents dryness that could lead to cracks. While applying polish, you should focus on high-touch areas like bookcase doors, where handles accumulate oils from hands.
6. Check Weight Distribution
Another effective tip to care for your wooden bookcases is to distribute items based on their weight when putting them on the shelves. As weight can strain joints over time.
You should place heavier items like encyclopedias and storage bins on lower shelves, as lower shelves better support heavy loads. This will prevent sagging, especially important for open bookcases without door support.
7. Maintain Moving Parts
Friction from daily use wears down wood, and this can lead to drawers sticking. That's why you should rub candle wax on drawer tracks annually to prevent sticking and slide drawers smoothly. And keep tightening knobs too if children pull on them during play.
8. Clean Glass and Metal Separately
Using harsh glass cleaners on your wood furniture can damage its finishes, and this metal can also transfer rust.
On a wooden bookcase with glass door, clean the glass with a vinegar-free spray and a lint-free cloth. For metal bookcases with wooden shelves, you can wipe metal parts with a dry cloth to avoid rust transfer.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, continuous care of your wooden bookcases makes them safe, functional, and beautiful through the years of family use. With these tips, you will avoid costly damage and preserve the wood's real aesthetics.
By using these tips, you can protect your wood furniture, no matter what type of bookcases, arched or bookcases with drawers, you own.
Looking to buy wood furniture for your home? Check out HomeyFad. You can also contact their team to learn more about their products.
FAQs
Q: Can sunlight damage an interior wood bookcase?
A: Yes. Indirect UV rays still fade finishes over time.
Q: Why do drawers stick in my Bookcase with Drawers?
A: Humidity swells wood tracks, causing drawers to stick.
Q: Are metal bookcases with wood shelves safe for children?
A: Yes, if maintained. Tighten bolts quarterly and place felt pads under metal legs to prevent floor scratches during active play.