Please follow these helpful hints, tips and suggestions to keep your cane seating strong and supple for long-term enjoyment.
Avoid Heat and Dryness
Keep your cane furniture away from direct heat sources (radiators, heat vents) and low humidity areas. Heat and low humidity can cause cane to get dry and brittle, which can cause breaking, snapping, and splintering. Additionally, direct sunlight should be avoided if possible. We recommend using a humidifier in the winter or arid climates that might cause hot and dry atmospheres.
Moisture Maintenance
Consider the cane similar to your skin. Keep the cane moisturized to increase the longevity and decrease the chance of damage. You can spritz your cane with an oil or glycerin-based soap mixture that’s been diluted in water. We recommend gently misting the backs and undersides of cane seating once a month with a spray bottle filled with a mixture of an oil soap and warm water.
Additionally, you can use a high-oil content furniture polish when dusting to help keep the cane supple. Lemon oil, orange oil, or mineral oil (use sparingly) applied to both the top and bottom of the cane seat a few times a year should do the trick.
Distribute body weight evenly on the cane seat
Cane seating is only intended to handle evenly distributed weight, and not concentrated weight such as a foot or a knee. Never kneel on cane or use it as a step stool. This will almost certainly break or stretch the cane.
We recommend using a seat pad or cushion to prolong the health of your cane seating (especially on large chairs or cane surfaces). A pad or cushion will distribute weight evenly and take the pressure off the individual strands.
Sagging Cane Solutions
Cane has naturally elastic properties, but if and when your cane begins sagging, then you’ll want to tighten it to prevent it from getting too weak along the edges and eventually breaking.
Sagging cane that’s minimally over-stretched can be rejuvenated by applying a warm and wet cloth to the underside of the cane seat after turning it upside down. Let the cloth and cane dry naturally overnight, and it should tighten the fibers. Remove the cloth the next day and turn the chair back to the normal position, then don’t sit in it for about 48 hours. This process will tighten the fibers and reduce the pressure from the inside edges.
Alternatively, you can use a spray bottle to spritz the seat liberally with warm water. Let the seat dry overnight, then don’t sit on it for 48 hours until dry.
The above processes are usually effective when done regularly within the first five years of use or recaning. They generally won’t work if there’s already numerous broken strands.Using these preventative methods a few times a year should increase the longevity of your cane.
Clean Frequently
Keeping your cane clean and void of dust, dirt, and grime is very important, because the dirt can damage the cane in the long run. Clean grime and dirty with a wood soap such as mild detergent in warm water. You can use a soft cloth or a soft bristle brush. Don’t damage the wood surface with the water, and make sure to rinse well and then let the seat dry naturally. Drying with heat will damage the cane. Don’t sit on the seat for at least 48 hours afterwards, because it can cause the cane to stretch and sag.
Avoid mold and mildew
If you see or smell mold or mildew, then you can use a solution of bleach OR hydrogen peroxide (not both) in soapy warm water to clean it. You can alternatively use the hydrogen peroxide on a q-tip swab to remove the mold if there’s only some small spots.
Afterwards you should rinse well and dry the cane outdoors if possible on a warm and windy day. If you accidentally spill the bleach solution on the wooden frame, then wipe it off quickly to avoid damage.
Cane Storage Tips
Don’t use or store your cane furniture in high humidity or in wet areas where mold and mildew are an issue. Avoid cold/wet basements, crawl spaces, bathrooms, the porch pushed up next to the wall of the house… You want areas with good air circulation.
Color Changes
Cane will naturally darken with age, but it can take several years to happen.
If you feel you must apply some sort of finish, high oil content furniture polish products can be used successfully; lemon oil, orange oil and mineral oil.
Occasionally, tung oil varnish or even wax furniture polish are used as a finish on the cane without harmful effects.