Care

With regular care and maintenance, all Rad Design custom furniture, cutting boards, and everything else I make should last a lifetime. This page contains specific care instructions for Rad cutting boards, serving boards, and custom furniture.

Cutting and Serving Boards

NEVER put your board in the dishwasher.

NEVER leave your board submerged in water.

After each use, hand wash your board with a quality dishwashing detergent and warm water. Rinse or scrub as necessary with a cloth, sponge, or scrub brush. You should take care to wash both sides of the board to ensure that the whole board is exposed to the same amount of moisture. Regularly washing and oiling only one side of the board can sometimes lead to warping.

If you'd like to further sanitize your board, I recommend lemon and salt. Sprinkle some coarse salt all over your board, then cut a lemon in half and use the open side to scrub the salt into the board. You can also use a 2:1 water and white vinegar solution to sanitize your board. Apply the solution with a spray bottle or cloth and scrub for a minute or two, then wash as normal.

Dry and store your board in a place where it gets air on all sides and won’t be exposed to drastic temperature or moisture changes. If your board came with feet, you can leave it flat on the counter as air can flow around the board evenly - just make sure to wipe off all access moisture and "standing water." If your board doesn't have feet, store it on its edge, or in a dish rack until dry.

Furniture

You don’t have to dust your furniture every day, but I recommend that you do a quick cleaning once a week.

Simply wipe down your furniture with a dampened cloth. Then wipe away any remaining moisture with a dry cloth. Use cotton, as synthetic fibers can cause surface scratches.

Most finishes today are designed to be low sheen with no “luster.” I use a two-part hard wax oil called Rubio Monocoat to finish all my furniture. Read more on the Rubio Monocoat site for their data sheets, and detailed care instructions.

Simply put, to maintain the beautiful finish on your wood furniture, I recommend avoiding wax-based polishes and polishes containing silicone. These products will accumulate in crevasses of the wood grain, contaminate your finish, and detract from the overall look of your furniture.

As with anything you buy, misuse or abuse can create damage over time. So, here are a few do’s and don’ts that will help prevent damage to your beautiful wood furniture.

• Always use a coaster under glasses, mugs, plates, etc. Use a pad under hot plates and pizza boxes.
• Hot, cold, or moist items will react with the wood surface and create discolored white rings or other marks.
• Use felt pads under lamps, vases, and other decorative accessories that may scratch the surface when moved.
• Avoid allowing plastic, nylon, or rubber materials to remain in contact with your wood surface. This includes the feet on computers, alarm clocks, and other electronics. These items can cause an adverse reaction to your wood finish over time.
• Avoid resting your feet on the furniture. Embellishments and rough or sharp edges on shoes can scratch your wood furniture.
• Don’t let pets walk across or scratch your wood furniture. As much as we love our furballs, they can cause inadvertent damage too. Besides, the carpet or your lap is probably a lot more comfortable!
• When writing, place something thicker underneath your paper, such as a book or magazine. Wood is soft, so your handwriting can travel through the paper and onto your tabletop.
• Keep your furniture away from a fireplace and heating and cooling vents; away from moisture sources, such as humidifiers; and out of direct sunlight. As much as we love the sun, it can be brutal. Just look at what it can do to your skin in a few hours or to a newspaper in a day. Daily exposure to heat or sunlight - even indirect sunlight – may fade your wood finishes and dry the wood, which can create cracks over time.
• Control your climate. Wood can swell or contract, depending on the surrounding atmosphere. If you live in a dry area, you may need to use a humidifier in your home. And if you live in a humid environment, you may need to control the moisture in your home.