When shopping for a table, consumers have the choice of many types of materials for their end table purchase. Tables are available in all different kinds of wood with a myriad of choices in stains and varnishes. Unfinished furniture has retained its popularity for many years due to its ability to become compatible with any décor, depending on the way it is finished. Stained or without stain, painted in any way you can imagine, and even left unfinished and treated with an occasional coating of tung oil are just some of the options.
There are also end tables available in which the materials are used in conjunction with each other, such as glass and metal. The style of the room, the taste of the purchaser, and the budget of the consumer, are the only limits which should be considered when end table shopping.
The surfaces of wood, glass, metal, stone, and leather offer the consumer the most flexibility in style, and these surfaces are the easiest to clean and keep in good condition. For wood surfaces, the cleaning compound is very important. Paste wax, furniture polish, dusting cloths or brushes, and even a wax crayon for treating minor scratches are all necessary for keeping the wood’s finish in top condition. Glass tables require spotless cleanups with no streaks or smudges. Many different types of cleaners are available for glass surfaces.
Stone tops would seem to require no upkeep, but it is important to remember that many cleaning products that are safe for other surfaces can be very damaging to natural surfaces such as granite, slate, and marble. These surfaces should be dusted with a damp cloth with no cleaning products at all.