What To Do If Wood Furniture Gets Wet? (4 Great Tips)
Wood furniture makes our homes habitable, and you may get worried when your wooden seats and tables are soaked with water. Water can damage wooden furniture, so you should take measures to dry the furniture before removing any stains.
Dirty water will leave stains on the furniture upon drying, which concerns many people when drying wet furniture.
The good news is that it is easy to dry any wet wooden furniture and remove any stains. First, you will need to clean any dirty water. Then you will ensure that the furniture has sufficient air supply and dry it slowly. Sometimes, drying it outside in the sun will be the best option.
In this article, we’ll take you through several measures you can take to protect your furniture when it gets wet.
What Might Happen When Furniture Gets Wet?
The damage caused to furniture by water depends on several factors, including the duration the furniture remains wet and the type of wood used in making the furniture. Most of the wooden furniture in our houses is delicate and would get damaged if it stayed moist for several hours.
When left wet, wood furniture will weaken, and some will be discolored. Some stains will be permanent when the furniture is dried.
Furniture is held together using strong adhesives, likely to be weakened by water. Moreover, the moisture in the wood will create an environment for mold to grow.
How Long Does Water Take to Damage Wooden Furniture?
The variety of wood furniture keeps increasing, and each type has different water tolerance. Common wood used to make furniture includes plywood, hardwood, and particleboards. Furniture made from these woods can be destroyed by water when left wet for relatively long.
Most furniture would be completely ruined if it was left wet for over a week. After a few days, some of the furniture will have mold growing, and others will have weakened. The impact of water on wood furniture can be worse if there is a limited air supply.
Drying Wet Wooden Furniture
If you find your furniture soaking wet, you will rush to wipe it dry to protect it from any long-term damage. Wiping and drying wet wooden furniture shouldn’t be a difficult task. If you follow these steps immediately after water has spilled, you will protect your furniture from damage.
Step 1: You need to check whether the water on the furniture is clean or dirty. If the water is dirty, you will need to use a piece of clothing with clean water. Remove the dirt when wet to avoid patches from forming once the furniture has dried up.
Step 2: If only a small portion of the furniture is wet, you can use a clean and dry piece of cloth to wipe out the water. When wiping out water, avoid spreading the water to the dry parts of the furniture.
Step 3: If the whole furniture is soaked in water, you will wipe and remove most of the water. It can be a challenge when dealing with curvy furniture.
Step 4: Once you have removed most of the water, the furniture is ready for drying. You can take small furniture outside the house and dry it under the sun.
The drying process should be slow; a hot sun can cause cracks, damaging the furniture. You can cover the furniture with polythene or plastic materials to slow the drying process when in the sun.
Step 5: Furniture with closed parts such as drawers should be left open to dry. Ensure there is sufficient light and air supply to deter the growth of mold before the furniture dries.
When you follow these steps, you are likely to prevent your furniture from long-term damage.
How Long Does Wet Wooden Furniture Take To Dry?
You have wiped the water on the wet furniture, and now you are wondering how long it will take to dry. Several factors will determine how long a piece of wet wooden furniture will take to dry completely.
The amount of water the furniture soaked is a significant determinant. The more water a piece of furniture soaks, the longer it will take to dry up. If the water is mainly on the furniture’s surface, it can take a few hours to dry completely.
When you place your furniture outside in the sun, it will dry faster than when left to dry naturally within the house. Furniture drying outside in the sun can take 2 hours to dry completely. If you let the furniture dry in a room with sufficient air supply, it can take 8-12 hours to dry completely.
How To Handle Wet Wooden Furniture?
If you act immediately, you can prevent damage to your wooden furniture when soaked with water. There are many ways to fix your wet wooden furniture, but here are 4 great tips.
Replace The Damaged Wood Section
If the furniture is left in water, mold may grow, and some parts may weaken.
We recommend you remove the ruined section to prevent mold from growing further. You can contact a professional to do the repair job for you when facing challenges.
Handle The Growing Mold
When exposed to water, wooden furniture is susceptible to mold. The mold growth is likely to occur in furniture stored in damp spaces.
When left unchecked, it can ruin the furniture thoroughly. You can do a thorough cleaning to remove any mold which may be building up in the wet areas of the furniture.
If the wooden furniture remains wet, there is a risk of mold growing again even after cleaning. Once you have cleaned the mold, we recommend you ensure the moisture is dried up. Moreover, ensure sufficient air supply for furniture that cannot be moved to dry under the sun.
Use A Dehumidifier
A dehumidifier is a handy tool when drying wooden furniture while indoors. It is difficult to dry wet woods in humid places because of the high humidity in the surroundings.
A dehumidifier will reduce the amount of moisture in the room. Consequently, moisture will quickly evaporate from the wet furniture and dry faster.
Spread Mayonnaise
Spreading mayonnaise over the wet furniture is a quick remedy to dry wet wooden furniture. Mayo works better absorbing water immediately after it has spilled over the furniture and not when mold and permanent damage has already occurred. You need to spread mayo over the wet patch and leave it to absorb the moisture.
Final Remarks
Wet wooden furniture can be a nightmare, especially when not sure what to do. You can follow the tips highlighted in this article, and you will prevent your furniture from getting damaged by water.
If water spills over your wooden furniture, take the recommended steps and precautions, and dry it to retain its original color. If mold grows, you can apply the outlined four great tips to reclaim your furniture.