Cherrywood Cabinet Care Guide
A little gentle care goes a long way — and cherry loves you back
Your Radique cherrywood cabinet or side panel is genuine Ottawa Valley cherry veneer with a natural oil-and-wax finish: no stain, no polyurethane, no synthetics. Here’s how we finish it, how to look after it, and how its colour will change over the years.
The short answer
Dust with a soft, dry microfiber cloth along the grain, wipe spills straight away, and keep the wood away from humidity, heat vents and chemical cleaners. Don’t stain it and don’t stack gear on it. Cherry darkens naturally to a rich reddish-amber over time — a few hours of sun a day speeds that up. An occasional thin coat of pure beeswax is optional.
What’s on your cabinet
We finish cherry the old-fashioned way, so the real grain and colour show through instead of sitting under a glossy coating.
- 1
Sanded to 320 grit
Genuine Ottawa Valley cherrywood veneer is sanded to a silky smoothness.
- 2
Boiled linseed oil
A traditional boiled linseed oil finish is hand-applied and left to cure fully, bringing out the grain from within.
- 3
Beeswax polish
A final coat of beeswax adds a warm, subtle lustre and lasting protection.
Made with care, not chemicals — and it looks better a decade from now than it does today.
Everyday care
Keep it clean, keep it dry, dust it gently. The finish does most of the work.
Do
- Dust regularly with a soft, dry microfiber cloth — always with the grain.
- Wipe spills immediately with a slightly damp cloth, then dry the spot right away. Blot, don’t scrub.
- Clean when needed with a few drops of mild dish soap in water on a barely damp cloth, then a dry cloth.
- Use coasters or mats under drinks, plants or anything that might sweat.
- Lift components, remotes and decor — never drag them. Consider felt pads under very hard or sharp feet, or a soft mat where things move often.
- Optional: now and then, rub in a very thin coat of pure beeswax balm and buff gently.
Don’t use
- Chemical cleaners: ammonia, bleach, all-purpose sprays
- Silicone furniture polishes — they build up and cloud a natural finish
- “Reviver” or “refinisher” products, unless we’ve recommended one for a repair
- Paper towels (more abrasive than you’d think), scrub pads or melamine sponges
- Oil soaps or “feed-and-wax” mixes
- Stain — see below
Colour, sunlight and patina
Cherry naturally deepens from a light honey tone toward a rich reddish-amber. That’s normal, expected, and part of the charm — and you can influence how fast it happens.
To keep the lighter honey tone
Keep the cabinet out of strong direct sunlight. Indirect light will still darken it, just slowly.
To deepen the colour sooner
UV drives cherry’s colour change. A few hours of direct sun a day deepens it noticeably within weeks rather than months. All-day sun, like a south-facing window, is too much over time and can dry out the finish.
Rotate cabinets and panels near a window now and then so every side darkens evenly — and don’t leave objects sitting on top, or you’ll get a lighter “ghost” where they stood.
Keep it away from moisture and heat
Humidity
Humidity is cherrywood’s worst enemy — and bad for vintage electronics too. It can make veneer bubble, swell or lift, and speeds up corrosion inside your gear. Keep it away from bathrooms, saunas, hot tubs, indoor pools, humidifiers and damp basements or laundry rooms.
Water
Never let moisture sit on the surface, even briefly. Keep diffusers, kettles and wet plants away, and don’t park wet cloths on top “just for a minute”.
Heat
Keep it clear of heat vents, baseboard heaters and radiators. Heat and dry air can dry out the veneer, cause cracking, warping or lifting at the edges, and darken spots unevenly.
A normally climate-controlled living space is ideal. In a damp climate, a dehumidifier in the same room is a great investment for your cherrywood and your electronics.
Please don’t stack gear on it
Vintage amps, receivers, turntables and decks run cooler and last longer with space around them; heat is the enemy of electronics. A component on top also blocks light from the wood, leaving a lighter patch when you move it. Give each piece its own shelf with a little breathing room.
Can it be stained darker?
No — and you probably won’t want to. The oil and wax finish has fully cured into the wood, so stain can’t penetrate; it would sit on top, look uneven and wear off. Going darker means a full strip and refinish, which is only worth it for higher-value cabinets. If you’re set on it, email us and we’ll talk it through. For most pieces, patience and a sunny spot give a far more beautiful result.
Installing a WC-22 cabinet yourself?
Our step-by-step video walks you through fitting a WC-22 style cherrywood cabinet to your Marantz 22xx-series receiver, start to finish.
Want one for your own Marantz? See current availability on our WC-22 Style Cherrywood Cabinet listing — and while you’re on our YouTube channel, we’d love a subscribe.
Cherrywood care FAQ
How do I clean a Radique cherrywood cabinet?
Dust regularly with a soft, dry microfiber cloth, wiping with the grain. When it needs more, use a barely damp cloth with a few drops of mild dish soap, then dry it immediately with a clean cloth. Avoid chemical cleaners, silicone polishes, paper towels and scrub pads.
What finish is on Radique cherrywood cabinets?
Genuine Ottawa Valley cherrywood veneer, sanded to 320 grit, hand-finished with boiled linseed oil that is left to cure fully, and topped with a beeswax polish. There’s no stain, no polyurethane and no synthetic coating.
Why is my cherrywood cabinet getting darker?
That’s cherry’s natural patina. Light, especially UV, gradually deepens the wood from a honey tone to a rich reddish-amber. It’s normal and one of the reasons cherry is prized for fine furniture. Keep it out of strong sun to slow the change, or give it a few hours of direct sun a day to speed it up, rotating it so it darkens evenly.
Can I stain my cherrywood cabinet darker?
No. The oil and wax finish has cured into the wood, so stain won’t penetrate — it sits on the surface, looks uneven and wears off. A darker finish would need a full strip and refinish, which we can discuss for higher-value cabinets. Cherry darkens beautifully on its own over time.
Can I use furniture polish on it?
Please don’t use silicone-based furniture polish or spray cleaners; they build up and cloud a natural finish. If you’d like to, an occasional very thin coat of pure beeswax balm, buffed gently, is fine — but the finish doesn’t need it.
Where shouldn’t I put my cherrywood cabinet?
Away from humidity (bathrooms, saunas, hot tubs, humidifiers, damp basements), heat (vents, baseboard heaters, radiators) and all-day direct sunlight. A normal climate-controlled living space is ideal.
Can I stack components on top of the cabinet?
We’d rather you didn’t. Vintage electronics need airflow to run cool, and anything sitting on the cabinet blocks light from the wood, leaving a lighter patch where it stood. Give each component its own shelf.
Do these tips apply to other wood finishes or other makers’ cherry?
No. They’re specific to Radique’s cherrywood finish. For a walnut, oak or stained one-off we’ve done, contact us — we keep notes on every custom job and can tell you exactly how to care for it. For cherry finished by another maker, follow their instructions.
How do I install a WC-22 cabinet on my Marantz receiver?
We have a step-by-step install video for fitting our WC-22 style cherrywood cabinet to Marantz 22xx-series receivers on the Radique Audio YouTube channel, embedded on this page.
The bottom line
- Dust it with a soft cloth, along the grain.
- Keep it dry, and away from humidity and heat.
- Give it — and your gear — room to breathe: no stacking.
- Skip the stain; let cherry develop its own patina.
A care question we haven’t covered?
Or a custom non-cherry finish from us you’d like care tips for? We keep notes on every piece we finish.