Mumbai spends four months of the year above 80% humidity, and the rest of it in salt air. Solid wood furniture survives this perfectly well — there is teak furniture in this city older than the buildings around it — but only if it is looked after in a few specific ways.
Why humidity affects wood at all
Wood is hygroscopic: it absorbs moisture from the air and releases it again. As it does, it swells and shrinks slightly across the grain. Well-seasoned wood in a stable finish moves very little. Poorly seasoned wood, or wood with bare unfinished surfaces, moves a lot — and that movement is what opens joints and lifts polish.
So most of “caring for wood in Mumbai” is really about keeping the moisture exchange slow and even.
1. Keep furniture off the outside wall
The single most useful thing you can do. External walls in Mumbai hold damp through the monsoon, and a sofa back pressed flat against one will absorb it. Leave a gap of four to six inches so air can move behind the piece.
The same applies to walls shared with a bathroom.
2. Wipe dry, never wet
Use a dry or barely damp soft cloth. Never a soaked one, and never leave water standing on a horizontal surface. If something spills, dry it immediately rather than letting it sit.
Avoid all-purpose household cleaners on polished wood — most contain solvents that dull or strip polish over time.
3. Polish once a year, before the monsoon
A wax-based furniture polish applied in April or May, before the rains, refreshes the barrier that keeps moisture out. Apply thinly, let it sit, then buff. A thick coat does not protect better, it just attracts dust.
For carved surfaces, use a soft brush to work polish out of the recesses so it does not build up and fill the detail.
4. Run the fan, not just the AC
Air movement matters more than air conditioning. A room that stays shut for weeks in the monsoon develops damp pockets. Opening up and running a fan for an hour a day does more for your furniture than any product.
If a room is genuinely damp, a small dehumidifier during the monsoon is worth it — for the furniture and for everything else in the room.
5. Watch the feet
Wooden feet standing directly on a floor that gets mopped daily will wick water upward. Small felt or rubber pads under each foot solve this completely, and also stop the feet scratching the floor.
6. Keep it out of direct sun
Sunlight fades upholstery and dries polish unevenly, so one side of the sofa lightens over a couple of years. Sheer curtains on a west-facing window are enough.
Caring for the upholstery
- Vacuum monthly with a brush attachment — dust in the weave is what wears fabric, not sitting on it.
- Rotate loose cushions every few weeks so they compress evenly.
- Dry-clean, do not machine wash, unless the maker has said the covers are washable.
- Blot spills, never rub. Rubbing pushes the stain into the weave.
What if a joint opens or the polish lifts?
Do not fill it yourself with adhesive. An opened joint on a solid wood frame is usually re-glued and clamped in an afternoon by the maker; a joint filled with the wrong glue often cannot be repaired properly afterwards. Same with polish — a patch of household varnish over the original finish is much harder to fix than the original problem.
A realistic expectation
Solid teak or rosewood, seasoned properly and polished once a year, will outlast its upholstery two or three times over in Mumbai. Plan to reupholster at some point. Do not plan to replace the frame.
We re-polish and reupholster our own pieces at the workshop in Malad West. If something needs attention, call +91 84518 62581 or get in touch.