How to Care for Your Walking Cane: Style, Maintenance, and Longevity

We often receive the question, “How do I care for my walking cane?”

Walking canes and seat sticks are generally robust items suitable for active use. However, a little care and maintenance will improve the appearance of your walking stick or seat and may extend its working life. Below we have listed some useful tips as a guideline:

How do I care for a Wood Walking Cane?
Wooden walking canes and sticks should be regularly cleaned of mud and grime by wiping them gently with a damp cloth. They should be dried after use in wet weather and stored somewhere dry and warm but away from direct heat sources such as stoves and radiators. An occasional light polish with furniture polish or beeswax will also protect the wood and enhance the finish, although this should not be done with natural bark rustic sticks that have not been varnished.  Ensure worn or damaged metal or rubber tips are replaced promptly, both for safety reasons and to prevent damage to the cane. See our best-selling wood walking canes here

How do I care for an Aluminum walking cane?
These are very robust items, but care should be taken not to scratch the coating as this will affect the appearance of the cane. The tightening collar should always be re-tightened after the height of the cane has been adjusted, to ensure the cane is secure and does not audibly rattle or click. See our best-selling Aluminum walking canes here

How do I care for a Folding or Collapsible cane?
Folding or collapsible canes have simple mechanisms, but it is best not to dismantle them as small but important components can be lost. They should be stored in dry warm areas, but not near strong heat sources in case this causes the internal rubber bungee cord to perish. Care should be taken when using folding canes in very cold temperatures as rubber naturally loses some of its elasticity when conditions are very chilly. After the height has been adjusted, those models of folding canes that are fitted with tightening collars should always have these re-tightened, to prevent rattling sounds and increase stability.

Tips
Both rubber and metal tips should be checked regularly and replaced once they start to become worn. This is important for safety as well as aesthetic reasons. It is especially important in the case of three and four-legged seats, which may become unstable if used with worn or missing ferrules.

How do I care for a Leather seat stick?
Leather is a natural product and can become mildewed or moldy if left in a damp place. If the item is exposed to moisture or always bring it inside, dry with a towel and store away from radiators and other heat sources that may cause the leather to become cracked and hard. If the leather becomes a little dry, its suppleness may be improved by a light application of leather conditioner.