Caring for Your Avocado Furniture: Walrus Oil® Furniture Maker Master Kit
At Avocado, we offer two types of finishes on our wood furniture:
Clear Coat | Oil & Wax Finish (Hand Rubbed) |
City Bed Frame & Nightstand (Alder) Kids Bedroom Furniture (All) Reclaimed Wood (All) Cedar Stump | City Bed Frame & Nightstand (Walnut)
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Oil & Wax Furniture Finish: Easy Maintenance
We’re proud to finish our premium furniture pieces using maple and walnut with Walrus Oil®, a natural, non-toxic oil & wax finish that protects and enhances the wood’s natural beauty. This premium, plant-based oil is part of our commitment to sustainability, transparency, and creating products that are safe for your home and the planet.
Whether you received a kit with your furniture purchase or bought the Furniture Maker Master Kit on our website or directly from Walrus Oil®, this guide will help you maintain your wood furniture and keep it looking beautiful for years to come.
Why We Use Walrus Oil®
Walrus Oil® is a trusted, American-made wood finish created with natural, food-safe ingredients—like polymerizing oils and plant waxes—that are free from harmful chemicals, VOCs, and synthetics. It’s perfectly aligned with Avocado’s mission to create safe, sustainable, and healthy home products.
Key benefits:
Natural & Non-Toxic: 100% plant-based and free of solvents and harsh chemicals.
Safe for Your Home: Suitable for bedrooms, nurseries, and spaces with kids or pets.
Sustainably Made: Crafted in small batches in the U.S. from responsibly sourced ingredients.
Long-Lasting Protection: Helps prevent drying and cracking, while restoring luster over time.
Your Avocado furniture is crafted from real, solid wood — walnut or maple — and built to last for years, even generations. Unlike composite woods or veneer furniture, solid wood naturally evolves over time, developing character from the life lived around it.
We include the Walrus Oil® Furniture Maker Master Kit not as a burden, but as an invitation — a way to stay in harmony with your furniture. Small scuffs, scratches, and marks aren’t flaws — they’re part of the story. With a touch of care, your piece can be refreshed and restored for decades to come, all while maintaining its natural beauty and integrity.
What It Smells Like
Walrus Oil® has a light, natural scent—similar to clean wood or subtle plant oils—that fades as the finish cures. If you notice a mild aroma after receiving your new furniture with a hand-rubbed Walrus Oil® finish, or immediately after application, rest assured it’s non-toxic and will dissipate within a few days. Rest assured, our furniture is certified to Greenguard Gold standards.
Safety in the Bedroom
The oil is completely safe for indoor use and around children, pets, and bedding. It does not off-gas harmful chemicals. When applying, we recommend:
For larger areas or a complete finish, move your mattress and nearby bedding a few feet away to avoid accidental contact. Small touch-ups can be made if they do not affect the mattress or bedding, and only when the area is dry.
Let the furniture dry for 12–24 hours before placing items back on top.
Once cured, the finish will not transfer onto fabrics, mattresses, or bedding.
How Often to Reapply
Furniture ages the most in the first year. For most environments, reapplication is seldom, if ever, needed — only when you notice the wood looking dry or dull or the furniture has been marked or skuffed. When you do, simply follow the directions below. We include a starter kit with many of our hand-finished furniture items, and we also offer additional Walrus Oil kits for those who would like to refresh their furniture later.
How to Apply Walrus Oil®
Clean: Wipe the surface with a clean, dry cloth to remove dust.
Apply: Using a soft lint-free cloth, rub a small amount of oil evenly into the wood.
Wait: Allow the oil to absorb for 15–20 minutes.
Buff: Wipe off any excess and buff lightly for a soft sheen.
Cure: Let the surface dry for 12–24 hours before use.
Can the Setup Team Apply the Oil?
Our in-home setup and delivery teams do not apply oil during the delivery process. Each piece arrives beautifully finished and ready to enjoy. If you ever wish to refresh the finish, or touch up marks or blemishes that occur over the life of your furniture, you can easily do it yourself at home—no professional help required.
Warranty Considerations
Normal maintenance or application of Walrus Oil® does not affect your warranty.
However, damage caused by misuse or over-application (such as pooling oil, uneven staining, or sanding errors) is not covered. If you’re unsure how to care for your piece, our Customer Experience Team is happy to guide you through the process.
Learn More
If you have questions, the Avocado Customer Experience Team is here to help.