Wooden furniture is in all shapes and sizes. It can be in the form of chairs, desks, cabinets, or tables. Wooden furniture is referred to as dirty because when you touch it with your hands, it has traces of oil on it. This trace of fat is what makes it look dirty even when you just bought the furniture. In this article, we discuss the types of furniture and how to clean wooden furniture?
Types of furniture
New Furniture
- People don’t know how to clean new wooden furniture properly. To clean this kind of furniture, a multipurpose cleaner should be used along with a microfiber cloth. Dip a soft sponge into warm water and add a small amount of multipole cleaner – a little goes a long way.
- After this, wipe down your wooden furniture thoroughly.
- Next, use the microfiber cloth to dry off any remaining water or cleaner. This should be done after every cleaning session for the best results.
- If you don’t have a multipurpose solution at home, make one by mixing 1 part vinegar with four parts of warm water. Dip the sponge into this mixture and wipe down your wooden furniture as you did before with the multipole cleaner.
Old Wooden Furniture
Old wooden furniture is not look dirty, but can look shabby compared to other types of furniture. Like vinyl-covered ones that are very easy to clean nowadays, even without using multipurpose cleaners! However, if you want to clean your old wooden furniture to look new, you can follow the steps given above. Be cautious not to scratch the surface of refurbished furniture, though.
- If you have already used a multipurpose cleaner and the vinegar solution on your old wooden furniture, allow it to dry completely before using wax or oil-based furniture polish.
- This is because water can seep in and mark or cause discoloration in refurbished wooden furniture if we don’t let it dry first.
- Once everything has dried, apply a thin coat of wax or oil-based furniture polish with a lax cloth and scrub in a round motion until a shine starts coming through.
- You may do this once every month for better result.
To clean wood furniture using oil soap
Another way to clean your restored wooden furniture is by using oil soap like Murphy’s Oil Soap or Orange Oil Soap. The cleaning process with these types of soap is practically the same as the multipurpose cleaner. The vinegar solution mentioned earlier, except that oil soap can also be used on old wooden furniture whose veneer may have started chipping off.
- Just follow the steps above but use oil soap instead of the other cleaners mentioned.
- Take note that just because oil soap can be used to clean old wooden furniture, this doesn’t mean it will be saved from further damage.
- Use this method as a maintenance tool so that our wooden furniture won’t be as damaged as before.
Clean wood furniture with vinegar
Vinegar is a reliable choice for many cleaning solutions, and it’s a safe and natural method to clean furniture dust. The secret ingredient in vinegar product is acetic acid, a strong cleanser for dirt, grease, and grime from wood.
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Although white vinegar is excellent for cleaning wood, it may still have an odor. To avoid this, you might want to buy odorless vinegar or add a rare droplets of vital oils, such as lemon, to your white vinegar solution.
Follow these steps to clean the wooden furniture with vinegar which are mention below:
- To remove any dust residue, use a dampened, and clean cloth dipped in water to wipe the whole surface.
- Pour one part white vinegar (without an odor if you prefer) into one part water. If you’re using essential oils, add them now.
- While vinegar is appropriate for all kinds of wood, it may have an negative effect on some wood textures. If it doesn’t harm the wood, carry on to the next step.
- Dip a piece of clean cheesecloth into the solution and squeeze it out to ensure it does not drip.
- Make circular rubbing motions over the cloth, keeping track of the direction of the fiber.
- Use a fresh, dry fabric to rub the surface and remove any moisture. If there are still marks, repeat the procedure.
- Finish with a soft clean cloth to buff the whole surface of your furniture in circular motions.
FAQs
Extra tips on how to clean wood furniture:
- Remove dust and other things stuck between grooves by using thin strips of sticky paper called “lint roller” or by using thin paintbrush bristles dipped in water.
- Use masking tape if there are stains that are too difficult to remove with regular polishes—Dab small amounts of masking tape onto the color until it is saturated.
- Pull off the masking tape after a few minutes and check to see if stains are removed or not. If not, reapply for another few minutes, then remove again. Repeat this process until the stain has been eradicated. Take note that some stains may be more challenging than others and will require more masking tapes to use.
- When drying the wooden furniture after polishing, natural sunlight can also do wonders in getting rid of dust and dirt stuck in every crack and corner – leaving your clean & shiny once again! However, note that refurbished wooden furniture should always be kept out of direct sunlight as too much sun contact can cause diminishing and discoloration.
Note:
Oil-based furniture polishes are usually more effective in bringing back the shine of our refurbished wooden furniture but may cause discoloration if left too long without being polished again. Wax-based furniture polishes provide a protective coating that is easy to apply and remove – making it easier for future dusting and cleaning – but its protective covering can also make it safe for future damge.
