This is a sponsored guest post.
When you have children at home, protecting your wood furniture can be a full-time task. They may be the light of our lives, but they can be a pain when it comes to keeping the whole house, including its contents, in order.
Although solid wood furniture can withstand all weather conditions, they are very vulnerable to kids. Since they’re too young to know the value of things and their motoring skills are not as good yet as ours, a lot could happen anytime – from minor scratches to furniture tip-overs.
There are tons of childproofing gadgets in the market today. However, these things don’t guarantee 100% protection for both your children and the contents of your home.
But this shouldn’t stop you from having your dream wood furnishings. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to protect your wood furniture from your kids.
- Apply sealant on bare wood furniture.
Bare wood furniture can be lovely, but they’re very prone to scratches. There’s a lot that could happen. Even if you have the most behaved kid in the world, an innocent playtime with his toy cars on your wooden table could damage it just like that.
To protect your bare wood furniture, you can apply a sealant to minimize the chances of scratches and stains. It also prevents water or any liquid from penetrating and destroying the wood.
- Place waterproof covers or mats on top of your furniture.
For your solid wood dining table, there are lots of contemporary designed placemats, coasters, and table runners today that you can place to protect your wood from water, moisture, and scratches. However, you should avoid using covers made of plastic or rubber as these may damage the finish.
Although spills can’t be 100% avoidable, make sure to wipe it dry immediately with a lint-free cloth as soon as it happens.
- Choose your wood furniture colors wisely.
It’s wise to plan, choose, and buy furniture in colors that hide dust and dirt. Not all children and housekeepers are born the same, so it’s always good to be on the safe side.
If you’re a fan of white wood furniture, make sure to always stay on the lookout for any dust, marks, stains, and spills. Or better yet, place all of them in your “adult-only” areas in your home.
- Anchor furniture to walls.
We would always hear this news from time to time – people, especially children, getting injured or killed from furniture tip-overs. This fact is the reason why experts strongly recommend that all wardrobes, dressers, bookshelves, and even televisions, should be securely fastened to walls.
There are furniture restraints or anchoring kits that can be purchased from any local hardware and even online. These kits commonly come in with two brackets – the first one screws directly on the furniture, and the other fastens into a stud in the wall.
If you’re not sure, you can always hire professional child proofers to do the job for you.
- Educate your kids.
Your children absorbing what they should and shouldn’t do could not be accomplished overnight. Patience and consistency are required for this task.
Accidents caused by kids can still happen, but this will minimize direct actions that would negatively impact both your furniture and your sanity.
You can start by simply asking them to clean their spills and mess from the table. You can also train them to avoid playing on top of furniture or in areas in your home where furniture tip-overs can happen. Another important thing is to never allow them to climb on bookshelves, drawers, and even on tables, so they won’t make it a habit.
