Soap finished surfaces

Care and maintenance

Wipe your furniture with a clean cloth well wrung out in lukewarm water, preferably in a soap suds solution. Do not use washing-up liquid or soft soap.

Small scratches and pressure marks are easily removed. Simply apply a few drops of water to the damaged spot and leave it to dry. When the scratch or pressure mark “rises”, sand it carefully using abrasive paper grit 220. If the mark is still evident, apply a few drops of water again. Fold a piece of paper towel 4 or 5 times and moisten it with water. Place the paper towel on the mark and then dry the paper using an iron. Be careful NOT to allow the iron to touch the wood. Sand the wood using abrasive paper grit 220, and then finish with a soap treatment.

Repair of serious damage should always be carried out by a professional furniture workshop.

How to soap treat your furniture

We recommend Skovby Care Collection products - Natural Wood Soap or White Wood Soap.

The item has undergone basic soap treatment at the factory, but in order to quickly achieve a dirt and moisture repelling surface, treat the product with soap before putting it to use, and then repeat the treatment 2-3 times a year or when needed. We recommend that you use Natural Wood Soap from Skovby Care Collection.

If you wish to maintain the light colour of your furniture we recommend that you use white Wood Soap every third time you treat your furniture. See instructions on the care products.

All cleaning and treatment should be done along the graining of the wood.

Application

Apply the soap onto an uncolored cloth or sponge, then spread it evenly onto the item lengthwise of the wood. Repeat gradually until all surfaces and edges are applied a thin layer. 
End grain can absorb a lot of moisture, which may cause the wood to crack during the subsequent drying. Therefore end grain should only be wiped once. Surplus soap is wiped off immediately with a clean cloth well wrung out in lukewarm water.

Should the treatment cause the wood to rise and become a little rough to the touch, you can sand along the graining of the wood using abrasive paper grit 220 and then wipe the surface. Do not use steel wool. Excessive use of soap may darken the wood.

Please note

Please note that the furniture needs soap fat and not water. Therefore do not apply water or a weak soap mixture as the subsequent drying may cause the wood to crack. Too much water and incorrect treatment may cause discoloration of the wood. Watch instructional video on this page.

Alternative

You can also treat your furniture with a solution of soap water. Dissolve ½ dl of natural soap flakes into 1 litre of boiled water.

Stir thoroughly and let the mixture cool down to body temperature before applying it. We recommend using demineralised water for oak as tap water contains ferrous iron that may cause discoloration of the wood.