The holiday season has arrived and many people will be getting together with friends and family for a nice meal on Thanksgiving and Christmas. As these holidays approach, people who are entertaining guests spend days cleaning and preparing their homes. Holiday gatherings are always centered around a meal which makes your dining room table the most important furnishing in the house. During these meals, your guests will be constantly passing food and drinks around the table. The higher volume of people and food around your dining room table increases the risk of surface damage or stains. As you prepare your home to entertain guests over the holidays, follow these tips to help protect your wood dining room table.
Padding and placemats help protect dining room tables.
Put Felt or Padding under Heavy Objects
Holiday meals often involve large bowls of food, drinking glasses, and a centerpiece or candleholders on the dining room table. Many of these objects could potentially scratch or gouge the table surface. You can help prevent scratches and other minor surface damage by putting felt or padding under heavy objects.
Use a Tablecloth
One of the best ways to protect the surface of your wood dining room table is to use a tablecloth. Cotton or linen tablecloths offer the best protection as other materials could scratch the surface. You should consider using table pads under the tablecloth for added protection.
Do Not Slide Items on the Table Surface
You can easily scratch a wood dining room table by sliding glasses, plates, and other hard objects across the surface. You must avoid doing this and make sure that your guests don’t slide anything across the table either.
Clean All Spills Quickly
At such a large gathering, there is always the risk of a spill on the table. Wood dining room tables can absorb liquids and stain, so it is important to clean up any spills as soon as they happen.
Protect from Heat and Moisture
Heat and moisture can both damage wooden tables. Direct heat from a pan can leave a burn mark in the wood and condensation or spills can leave watermarks. You must put a pot holder under hot pots to protect the dining room table from heat and make sure your guests use coasters to protect the wood from moisture.
Dining room tables are often one of the most impressive pieces of furniture in the house and the holidays give you a chance to use and enjoy them. These tables are also vulnerable to surface damage so make sure you keep them protected with these tips. If your dining room table sustains surface damage such as a scratch or watermark, call a furniture restoration professional for wood furniture repair services. These professionals can remove burns and water marks from wood tables and repair scratches and gouges.
