Larkin oak furniture is low-maintenance.
In the early 1900s, the Larkin Soap Company used oak furniture as a free premium when people bought its line of soap products. For a $10 order, a customer could receive a classic drop-front desk or dining room chair, and for a $20 order, a mirrored oak buffet. A wildly popular marketing tool, the furniture given away is now antique, and should be treated as such. Clean these sturdy oak treasures as you would any other antique in your home---with gentle care. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Wipe surfaces down with a clean, soft cloth. Most Larkin oak furniture is solid, quarter-sawn oak, not delicate veneer so don't hesitate to apply pressure when dusting.
2. Shake out your dust cloth. Apply a small amount of solvent-based cleaning wax to the cloth, and wipe a thin layer of it onto the surface of the oak. Turn the cloth over and buff it immediately. The solvent will dissolve old wax, and remove ingrained dirt at the same time.
3. Dip the second clean cloth into a jar of cornuba wax paste. Apply a thin layer to the furniture surface. Buff it immediately with a different part of the cloth to avoid smears and give a uniform, protective, low-gloss finish to the wood. Be sure to work with the grain of the oak, not across it, for best results.
4. Clean and wax Larkin furniture no more than once every few months. In between, wipe down periodically with a soft cloth dampened with water if dust accumulates.
Tags: Larkin furniture, Clean Larkin, soft cloth, thin layer