Treatment of rosewood trim

Just joined the forum. Moved from a 2016 Silver Sonic 6 GT with tech package to a 2017 Machine Gray CX-9 Signature. Early impressions are great. I'm solidly in the Mazda camp, so I appreciate the value, styling, performance and handling.

Question: I have looked on Mazda's website and scoured this forum but I cannot find any information about treating the rosewood trim. Should one just clean it occasionally with a soft, moist cloth or should one treat it with lemon polish, as is recommended for rosewood furniture?

Thanks, Michael

Good question.

It doesn't look like the wood has been sealed so it will be prone to the effects of temperature and humidity extremes over time.

Treating it with something like lemon polish won't do much more than clean the surface. Also, lemon polish will eventually build up and leave a sheen on the wood. I prefer the natural "no shine" OE finish so I would resist using any kind of wood polish. Mazda doesn't address the care of the wood other than cursory cleaning so it looks like you're on your own.

My CX-9 is only six months old so I'm not too worried about the wood at this point. Wiping it down with a soft damp cloth when I'm cleaning the interior seems to be sufficient. Down the road if the wood starts showing signs of drying out, I might try a little tongue oil in an inconspicuous place to see how that works. Tongue oil is what the loud speaker manufacture JBL recommended to treat their Rosewood and Walnut speaker cabinets back in the day to keep them from drying out. I have a pair of vintage JBLs with Rosewood cabinets and I apply a coat of tongue oil once a year. I oil the whole cabinet using a soft cotton cloth, let it stand for a couple of hours (to allow the oil to penetrate), then wipe off the residual with a clean cotton cloth. These speakers are 40 yrs old and the cabinets still look brand new so the tongue oil regiment appears to work.

Thanks for your reply. I used to own some Klipsch Fort speakers (first edition) in walnut and would use oil on them as well (not sure it was tongue oil). I think I will do as you say, for now, and just wipe the rosewood trim with a soft damp cloth.

your rosewood trim definitely has some sort of gloss protective layer on top of it, so don't worry about "treating" the wood.

I think a clean microfibre with some lemon polish will work best. just be very careful not to scratch the finish.

Thanks for your suggestion, GJ-Molestor.

i'd check with guitar owners. probably no different than cleaning and maintaining your fretboard.

open pore implies it might not have a protective coating....

banjos-n-beer said:

i'd check with guitar owners. probably no different than cleaning and maintaining your fretboard.

open pore implies it might not have a protective coating....

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Exactly. I play guitar and use Colortone Fretboard Oil from Stewart McDonald. It hydrates, cleans and seals the wood.

Also, Colortone has gentle drying agents so the the wood won't stay sticky.

In time, this oil like many oils, may darken the rosewood.

http://www.stewmac.com/Materials_an...MIucLy9OPz1wIVhkoNCh340gKWEAQYAiABEgL8GvD_BwE

banjos-n-beer said:

i'd check with guitar owners. probably no different than cleaning and maintaining your fretboard.

open pore implies it might not have a protective coating....

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I believe youre right, I just looked at some pictures and it doesnt look like theres anything on top of the wood. I would use lemon polish or anything really that is used for treating and conditioning wood.

Fruitwolf said:

Exactly. I play guitar and use Colortone Fretboard Oil from Stewart McDonald. It hydrates, cleans and seals the wood. In time, this oil like many oils, may darken the rosewood.
http://www.stewmac.com/Materials_an...MIucLy9OPz1wIVhkoNCh340gKWEAQYAiABEgL8GvD_BwE

Click to expand...

This stuff looks great, it even mentions that its for unfinished rosewood. I would definitely give it a try.

GJ-Molestor said:

This stuff looks great, it even mentions that its for unfinished rosewood. I would definitely give it a try.

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Been using it for years, it's fantastic.

Slightly darkening the wood usually isn't a bad thing either. It helps to bring out the grain's features and character.

YMMV

Thanks for the tip!

mifanning said:

...Should one just clean it occasionally with a soft, moist cloth or should one treat it with lemon polish, as is recommended for rosewood furniture?

Thanks, Michael

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A good Leather Cleaner (not a Leather Conditioner). Keeps mine looking brand new, always. No shine. No glossy residue. But, it does clean and lift dirt well, however.