Caring For Your Furniture

CARE

CARING FOR YOUR CANE FURNITURE

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The natural, organic nature of cane furniture means it needs to be cared for and proactively cleaned. Doing this will ensure they are well looked after.

Whether your Malawi Cane piece is kept indoors or undercover outdoors, it is important that it is kept dry and well-aired. This includes bringing your chairs inside if the weather is particularly humid or in heavy rain. Or cover it with a waterproof cover. Regularly cleaning your cane furniture is also an important – and easy – part of looking after your pieces.

Dust and dirt can build up within the weave of Malawi Cane pieces – particularly because the weave in our pieces is so tight due to the high-quality weaving. Regularly dust each piece of furniture with a soft cloth and soft-bristle brush. A toothbrush is great for getting the harder-to-reach spots. Short on time? You can also use your vacuum with a small brush attachment. Easy! And don't forget to dust and vacuum the underside of your furniture. A build-up of dust and/or moisture will lead to mould on any natural fibre.

Any spills can be wiped off with a damp, soapy cloth. Then simply put your piece in the sun to ensure any dampness dries out completely. If you have a trickier stain, softly sand back the area. We recommend using 240-grit sandpaper and above.

Some furniture (particularly furniture living on the coast) can form a residue over time. Iron oxide stains in wood are usually dark spots caused by prolonged exposure to water and/or metal. The iron oxide reacts with the tannins in the wood and stains it black.

The best way to restore this would be to use Oxalic Acid. You can buy it from any hardware store – then simply just dissolve it in water and brush the affected area. Put it out in the sun to dry and re-varnish it, if you have a varnished or painted product.

Here is an example with a small wet patch cleaned as described above.

And here’s another example of an older piece, showing the cleaned section after it has dried...

Disclaimer: No refunds will be made by Malawi Cane if the furniture wasn't treated appropriately to the care instructions above.

And here’s just a great pic of some cane around a dining table!