Polish Wooden Furniture At Home: The Natural Way

Furniture made of wood is always a classic. We always find antique or vintage wooden pieces in our homes regardless of changing interior design trends. Such fixtures are popular in households and business premises due to their natural and neutral tone, long-lasting durability, and low maintenance requirements. But over time, grime, dust, stains, and scratches may cause the wood to lose the sheen. We need to repair, clean, and polish the furniture to return it to its former state. Thus, prepare yourself for your next DIY project of polishing hardwood furniture at home, and before you do that, here are some things about polishing wood at home that you need to know about.

Points we will cover for you:

• Why home remedy is best to clean wood furniture?
• Best natural wood cleaner
• Clean & Polish: Applying Guide
• How often should we polish wooden furniture?
• Conclusion

Why Home Remedy Is Best To Clean Wood Furniture

Commercial polishes often contain hazardous toxic ingredients that can irritate the skin and lungs when they come in contact while spraying. You can easily make your own at home if you don’t want to rely on these polishes. The ingredients are inexpensive and accessible in our kitchen, and polishing is a fun DIY activity as well to perform in your spare time. So, what are you waiting for?

Best Natural Wood Cleaner

You may already have items in your home that make the most effective natural wood cleaner. They gently soften the surface by acting as a nourisher and make your wood shine. Here, we have listed down three widely used ingredients (with benefits):

Oil:

The best oils to keep the wood in good condition are natural oils. They improve the appearance of the furniture by deeply penetrating the wood and protecting the surface from dryness and scratches. Most people use olive oil to polish wood. For interior fixtures, olive oil is a good wood treatment. Using regular or light olive oil on furniture brings out the wood’s natural beauty and makes it appear brighter in color. Olive oil, however, is not a good choice for outdoor furniture because, unlike commercial wood polishes, it lacks UV inhibitors that protect the wood from sun damage.

Coconut oil also cleans wood, particularly solid wood, and acts as a natural preservative. Its moisturizing quality restores the natural shine of the wood surface. Hey, a little warning here — while coconut oil is fantastic, it may not be the best choice for certain composite materials like particle board or plywood as it can leave a greasy surface. Thus, be sure to use the right oil for the right kind of furniture.

Vinegar:

Wood furniture can be cleaned and made shiny using white vinegar. Its acidic nature eliminates bacteria, filth, and grease. It is important to be cautious when making the polish, as vinegar can potentially harm the wood. For instance, undiluted white vinegar can dissolve the protective finish on the wood, leaving it looking dull or damaged. Therefore, make sure you don’t apply it directly on the furniture, and also dilute the vinegar with water or olive oil.

You can go for apple cider vinegar to clean or refresh the wood as an alternative to white vinegar. It has the same cleaning properties as distilled vinegar but with a more sweet scent.

Lemon Juice:

Lemons are high in citric acid. Thus, lemon juice has antibacterial properties. They act as a natural disinfectant, help to remove stains from wood’s surface, and make your fixtures glow. It is also safe to use in common household furniture where babies and pets often come into contact.

Clean & Polish Wooden Furniture: Applying Guide (Step by Step)

With a quick and easy home polishing procedure, you can effortlessly restore the beauty of wooden furniture. Remember to adjust the formula according to the nature of the wood of particular items, such as dressers, dining room tables, and bookcases.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of polishing wood furnishings at home so that you can cherish using your favorite wooden pieces for years to come.

Let’s get you started!

Step 1: Prepare the Surface

Start by removing any dust and debris from the furniture’s surface. Gently wipe away the loose particles with a clean, dry cloth or a duster. To avoid scratches during polishing, it is important that you perform this step first.

Step 2: Clean the Furniture

Furniture often develops patches with sticky residue from repeated use over the years. In order to proceed with the cleaning, mix a small quantity of gentle dish soap with warm water in a bowl. Take a test on the invisible part of the furniture to ensure that the surface doesn’t lose its finish. Then, use a moist microfiber cloth to wipe the furniture’s surface gently. Now, white vinegar comes into the picture to remove the particularly difficult built-up stains. Add a small amount of the vinegar to the soapy mixture to refresh the wood.

Step 3: Rinse and Dry

Once the furniture gets cleaned, use another damp cloth to rinse the soap residue from the surface. Following that, let it dry thoroughly with a dry and lint-free cloth. Before moving on to the next stage, you must ensure the wood is totally dry.

Step 4: Apply Oil

Use mineral oil or olive oil for the best outcome if you want to restore the gloss and moisture to the wood. When it comes to applying oil, it’s important to use a clean and dry cloth and apply a small amount onto the cloth before rubbing it over the wooden surface against the wood grain. This step would provide the wood with nutrition and a healthy shine. Optional: Consider pouring a little lemon juice into the oil mixture to make the aroma more pleasant.

Step 5: Buff to Shine

Use a different, clean cloth to lightly polish the furniture after applying the oil. This process will assist the oil to get distributed evenly and get rid of any extra. Buff the surface repeatedly until it shines.

That’s it, you are done!

How Often Should We Polish Wooden Furniture?

We recommend burnishing your wooden pieces every three months to ensure a long-lasting good condition. Going for polishing too often is not recommended since the polish’s water causes the wood’s veneer to rise. Therefore, the less water that comes in contact with the wood, the better.

Conclusion

Taking good care of the wood will increase its longevity and keep it looking great. You must maintain and polish the wooden furniture consistently to protect the wood from humidity, UV rays, and other environmental elements. And voila! With just a few steps and some readily available elements, you can bring the shine back to your favorite wooden piece from the comfort of your home.

Happy polishing!