Caring for a Wooden Bed Frame: Tips to Keep It Looking New

A wooden bed frame is one of the easiest pieces of furniture to live with. It does not need much, but the little it does need makes a real difference to how it looks and sounds after a few years. This guide covers everyday cleaning, protecting the finish, and the most common problem of all: a bed that starts to creak.

Know what finish you have

Before you reach for any cleaning product, check what your bed is made of and how it is finished. Wooden-style beds come in several forms, and they are cared for slightly differently:

The product page and the care sheet that comes with your bed are the best source of information. If in doubt, a soft dry cloth is always safe. You can see the full range of styles in our wooden beds collection.

Everyday care

Most of the work is simply dusting. Dust builds up in joints, around slats and along carved or panelled detail, and over time it dulls the finish. A soft microfibre cloth once a week is plenty.

• Wipe spills quickly. A cup of tea left on a footboard rail can leave a ring. Blot liquid rather than rubbing it in, then dry the area.
• Go easy on polish. Many modern finishes do not need polish at all. If you use one, use it sparingly and only if the care instructions recommend it.
• Keep it out of strong sun. Direct sunlight fades and yellows finishes unevenly, so you may see a lighter patch where a pillow or throw has been sitting. Blinds or curtains in the brightest part of the day help.
• Mind the radiator. Wood reacts to heat and dry air. Placing a headboard hard up against a radiator can cause splitting or warping over time. A gap of a few centimetres is enough.
• Protect the floor and the legs. Felt pads under the feet stop the bed scratching hard floors and reduce movement, which in turn reduces wear on the joints.

Squeaks, wobbles and loose bolts

Almost every bed frame settles in the first few weeks as the joints bed in. That is normal, and it is why the most useful thing you can do is go round all the bolts with the supplied tool about a month after you build the bed, and then every few months after that.

If your bed starts to creak, work through these in order:

1. Tighten every fixing. Loose bolts are the cause of most noise. Do not overtighten, as this can crush the wood around the fitting.
2. Check the slats. Make sure each slat sits properly in its holder and none has slipped. A strip of felt or fabric where the slats meet the side rails often silences a squeak.
3. Check the centre support. On larger beds the centre rail usually has feet. If a foot is not touching the floor, adjust it so it does.
4. Check the floor. An uneven floor can make a sturdy frame rock. A thin packer under one foot solves it.

If you are replacing a mattress at the same time, make sure the new one suits your frame. A slatted base needs a mattress that is happy on slats, and the right mattress puts less strain on the frame. Our guide on how to choose a mattress explains the options, and you can browse our mattresses here.

Looking after it for the long term

A few habits make a bed last noticeably longer:

• Lift the bed when you move it, rather than dragging it, as dragging puts sideways force on the joints.
• Avoid sitting or standing on the footboard or the top of the headboard.
• Rotate your mattress regularly so weight is spread evenly across the slats.
• Keep the original fixings and instructions in a labelled bag, ready for the next house move.

If your current bed is past saving, you will find wooden styles alongside upholstered and metal frames in our bed frames collection, and matching pieces in our bedroom furniture range. Delivery is free to England, Wales and most of Scotland and usually takes 1 to 2 weeks.