PLEASE NOTE: The products we recommend and the instructions we advise on following while applying such products, though based on our manufacturer's instructions, are solely to be considered as recommendations. We advise our customers to visit the products official website and follow the manufacturer's instructions when applying their products. Artistic Habitat does not take responsibility for any consequence that may arise from the misuse of the products discussed below.
CASEGOODS CARE & CLEANING TIPS
No two trees and no two pieces of our furniture are identical. Small, natural fissures and grain variations are part of what makes your Taracea furniture so unique. Fine furnishings will often develop a patina over time, so this is nothing to be concerned about. Although we manufacture our furniture to resist sunlight and temperature fluctuations, heat and humidity should always be avoided. This small consideration will have a significant impact on your furniture’s lifespan and performance. Adhering to the following care tips will also contribute to the long-term durability of your furniture:
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Clean each piece regularly with a damp cloth.
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Wipe up spilt liquids immediately.
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Avoid excessive exposure to direct sunlight.
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Avoid temperature fluctuations caused by fireplaces, AC systems, and open windows.
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Do not place hot or wet objects directly on the wood, as this will almost certainly damage the finish.
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Should you need to clean your furniture with anything other than a damp cloth, Howard® Natural Wood Cleaner and Polish Lemongrass-Lime may be used. This is available at amazon.com. Please follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Please email us at sales@artistichabitat.com if you have any care or maintenance questions and we’ll be happy to help.
POLYURETHANE FINISHED FLOORS
Maintenance Guide
Our goal at Artistic Habitat is to help educate our customers in the proper maintenance of their flooring along with creating a life-long relationship to ensure that your floors will continue to look as good as the day they were installed.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Maintenance of your polyurethane-coated hardwood flooring should include regular dust mopping & damp mopping only; do not wet mop. We suggest using only steam mops, or damp mopping using distilled white vinegar, or glass cleaners heavily diluted with water to clean your flooring.
If your floors have been cleaned with any type of cleaner that leaves a residue behind, a new coat will not adhere properly and this process may not be an option without also contracting for Artistic Habitat to clean & prep, if at all. Preventative maintenance is imperative to ensure that your flooring lasts the life of the house it is in or even longer; each subsequent sanding/refinishing of your hardwood flooring takes life away from the floor boards.
It is important to keep sand and dirt off your floors, and to watch the sheen in high-traffic areas; the finish will develop wear in these areas over time. The goal is to re-coat before you’ve worn through the polyurethane so that the surface of the wood is never exposed. Please feel free to call Artistic Habitat at any time for a representative to come out and inspect your flooring in order to make a recommendation, or if you have any other questions or concerns.
OIL FINISHED FLOORS
Oil finished hardwood floors have a very different appearance from traditional UV finished or polyurethaned hardwood floors. Over time, as applications of oil and maintenance occur, the floors will tend to look better as it ages and develops a rich patina. Oiled floors are easy to maintain and will look great for a lifetime when maintained properly. Renovation and care of oiled floors are very economical in comparison to other wood floors.
NATURAL PROPERTIES
Fading: Natural floors contain organic pigments and are subject to fading when exposed to direct sunlight. Where possible, use drapes or other systems to protect your floor from excessive light.
Joints: A natural plank floor system expands and contracts in response to fluctuations in temperature and humidity. By controlling the environment, maintaining an adequate temperature and relative humidity, you will minimize the visible effects of the seasonal contraction and expansion of your floor. Optimum recommended temperature is 68°F-72°F and relative humidity is 30% - 50%. In very dry climates, the use of a humidifier might be necessary.
After Instalation
If the floor needs to be covered to prevent wear and dirt penetration due to additional construction, use paper or cardboard. Do NOT tape paper or cardboard to the floor to keep it in place.
Do NOT adhere any tape to the face of the floor as it will damage the finish. NEVER use plastic, which does not allow the floor to breathe. This operation should be performed by the installer if it is necessary.
REGULAR, ROUTINE CLEANING & MAINTENANCE WITH WOCA SOAP
WOCA Natural Soap is designed to clean and protect oil finished surfaces from dirt, stains and wear and tear. WOCA Natural Soap cleans and leaves behind an invisible layer of soy and coconut fats, which greatly help to ward off most anything. In fact, when used on a regular basis, WOCA Natural Soap increasingly makes your oil finished wood floor more dirt and wear resistant and easier to keep clean.
Follow these simple steps:
1.Daily cleaning is done with vacuum cleaner or by sweeping. The frequency of floor cleaning depends on the wear on the floor.
2.Natural Soap is shaken carefully before use.
3.Mix 3 ounces of Soap into each gallon of lukewarm water. It is recommended always to work with 2 buckets; one with the Soap solution and the other one with rinse water. Clean the floor with minimum quantity of water leave soap water on floor briefly in order to dissolve dirt. Remove dirty soap water with hard-wrung cotton mop or cotton cloth and rinse out in rinse water bucket. Change rinse water often!
4. Always wipe floor with soap water on hard-wrung mop or cloth in order to re-establish the protective Natural Soap film.
5. Using the 2-bucket cleaning method is effective and yields an extremely clean surface. It is, however, also possible to use a Swiffer-type system in combination with WOCA Soap Spray, provided that any micro fiber pad is replaced with a cotton pad.
Please note: DO NOT use microfiber as this will gradually wear down most wood floor finishes.
Tip: If a haze is visible after the soap treatment, put a cotton cloth under a dust mop and quickly polish away the haze.
PERIODIC MAINTENANCE WITH WOCA OIL REFRESHER
(generally 1-4 times a year)
WOCA Oil Refresher, available in Natural and White, is used for periodic cleaning and maintenance of oiled wood floors. Oil Refresher combines efficient cleaning with oil rejuvenation, as additional oil penetrates the wood and forms a protective layer in the surface.
Work Instructions:
1.Shake the bottle well before and during use.
2.The floor must be free of dust before treatment.
3.Mix Oil Refresher with lukewarm water in a ratio of 1:40 (3 oz. Refresher per
gallon of water).
a.Mixing ratios can vary depending on wear and requirement.
b.We recommend using two buckets, one with Oil Refresher solution, the other with clean rinse water.
4.Mop a small section of floor with a lightly wrung cotton mop along the wood grain. Immediately afterwards, dip mop into Oil Refresher solution, wring it hard and mop the area, again along the grain. Change rinse water often!
5. Leave the floor to dry for approx. 2 hours before use.
6.For slightly higher sheen, polish the dry floor with a white pad.
7. It is possible to use WOCA Oil Refresher Spray with a Swiffer-type system, provided that any micro fiber pad is replaced with a cotton pad.
Please note:
DO NOT use microfiber as this will gradually wear down most wood floor finishes.
Tip: If a haze is visible after the Oil Refresher treatment, put a damp cotton cloth under a floor machine and polish it off, or mop the floor with water only.
REJUVENATION WITH WOCA MAINTENANCE OIL
(as needed) WOCA Maintenance Oil may be used for the maintenance of all oiled wood surfaces and is especially suitable for regular maintenance of oiled wood floors. Maintenance Oil is available in several colors. Product, room and floor temperature should be at least 59 degrees. Ensure good ventilation during application and drying time.
Work Instructions:
1. Wash floor with WOCA Wood Cleaner using 3 ounces per gallon of lukewarm water. Let the floor dry completely.
2.Shake oil container well before and during use.
3.Apply approx. 1-2 ounces per 40-50 sq. ft. onto the floor and polish oil by hand or with floor machine.
4. It is important that the Maintenance Oil is carefully polished into the wood. Continue polishing until the wood appears saturated and the surface looks uniform.
5. Polish off all excess oil from floor using cotton cloths under the pad before proceeding with the next section of floor to be finished. Hand wipe all edges and corners. The floor should not appear wet and no excess oil should be left on the surface.
6. When using a floor machine the oil will be pre-hardened after approx. 4 hours and may be cautiously taken into use. Manually polished floors after 24 hours.
7. Do not expose floor or woodwork to water during hardening time of 24 hours.
8. After 3 - 5 days the floor may be treated with WOCA Soap to provide additional protection against wear and tear.
Tip:
For fastest drying time, leave windows slightly open to ensure a steady flow of fresh oxygen.
Warning!
Rags, pads or waste soaked with WOCA oil may self - ignite if improperly discarded. Immediately after use, place all rags and waste in a sealed, water filled bucket for proper disposal.
REMOVING STAINS, SCRATCHES AND BURNS
Light scratches are best repaired by hand rubbing WOCA Master Floor Oil or the Color Oil on your floor on the affected areas using a cloth.
*If necessary, first clean the area to be repaired with lukewarm water.
*Be sure area is dry before applying oil. It is very important to let the floor dry completely before any Master Oil or Color Oil is applied. Any trapped moisture under the oil may cause mildew to develop, which causes black or dark blotches in the floor. It may also greatly increase drying time of the oil.
*Leave the oil to absorb for a short period of time before thoroughly buffing with a cloth and then removing the oil from the surrounding area with a clean, dry cloth.
*Deeper scratches or gouges should be sanded until they are no longer visible. Do not use a sand paper that is too fine. An 80-100 grit sandpaper will usually suffice, then clean the spot with lukewarm water and let dry completely.
Then follow directions for light scratches above.
*Whenever an area of the floor has been cleaned or repaired with new oil, it is important to remove all new oil from the surrounding area. This is easily done using a polishing cloth or a cotton rag, which then allows both areas to blend by having approximately the same sheen level. If necessary, steel wool can also be used to eliminate the “halo” effect of a slightly higher gloss level in the area around the repair.
Warning!
Rags, pads or waste soaked with WOCA oil may self-ignite if improperly discarded. Immediately after use, place all rags and waste in a sealed, water filled bucket for proper disposal.
GENERAL PROTECTION OF YOUR OIL FINISHED FLOOR
A natural plank floor system expands and contracts in response to fluctuations in temperature and humidity. By controlling the environment, maintaining an adequate temperature and relative humidity, you will minimize the visible effects of the seasonal contraction and expansion of your floor. Optimum recommended temperature is 68°F –72°F and relative humidity is 30% -50%.In very dry climates, the use of a humidifier is necessary.
*Before walking on your floor, make sure it has been cleaned after installation according to the instructions above.
*Mop your floor as needed.
*To help eliminate fine particles of dirt/grit that act like sandpaper and will scratch any floor, vacuum or sweep as needed.
*Wipe up spills immediately.
*Do not use any cleaning products other than the ones recommended in these instructions.
*Use walk-off mats at entrance doors and in front of kitchen sink. Avoid rubber backed or other non-ventilated mats or rugs.
*In possible reoccurring wet spill areas, such as the sink, use a rug in front of those working areas to prevent local premature wear.
* Install proper protectors under “feet” of furniture.
* Furniture will require different types of protectors in order to achieve maximum weight distribution.
* Resilient pads such as those made of felt, flexible rubber, and saucer-shaped plastic glides will work for most furniture.
* Caster wheeled chairs should have wide casters. A protective mat should be used under office chairs.
* Maintain a minimum humidity level in the room.
* If necessary, use a humidifier.
* Never use tape or other adhesive products on this
surface.
* Periodically check floor for signs of wear.
* When signs of wear are visible, it is time to renovate your floors following the instructions above. For additional questions not covered by these instructions, contact Artistic Habitat Directly at 310.937.2000