Water is Woods worst enemy

Water is the cause of most of my work. I get furniture with raised grain and water rings from a glass sitting on the furniture with out a coaster. I have seen the best finishes get ruined by water. Floods, leaky ceilings and spills that don't get cleaned up in time. Most finishes can hold up to water, but only for so long. If it sits on a finish long enough, it will either make a ring or penetrate the finish and start attacking the wood. The best thing you can do is use coasters, and wipe up any water as soon as possible. Some finishes are more prone to damage, because they have to much polish built up on them. This increases the chance of white water rings. I recommend you clean your furniture with a damp cloth followed by a soft dry cloth. Polish is not needed, as the finish is what is supposed to make the wood look good. When you polish furniture, you are polishing the finish, and it just builds up over time. Most dirt and grime is water soluble and will clean off just fine with a damp cloth. If you can not get it off with this method, then you are probably in trouble already, and may need more than a cleaning to remove it. An example would be fingernail polish. This will require stronger solvents and may need refinishing. So just remember that water is woods worst enemy and should be avoided at all cost if you want your furniture to stay looking nice......Dave's Touch-Ups