Cleaning and Polishing Wooden Furniture - the Dos and Don'ts

Posted on 07/12/2015

Tips for Taking Care of Wood Furniture

A wooden decor can bring a great atmosphere to the home. It gives a kind of cosiness that you may find in a summer house, a feeling that you are around nature. Just think of the aesthetics of having wooden furniture strewn about the house. Their excellence will only be matched by the hardships of house cleaning. And maintaining wooden furniture is quite a hassle. It requires some more attention to detail than in most cases. It is not like always knowing that carpet cleaning requires a vacuum cleaner and a carpet cleaner for stains. If you want to have a wooden decor, then here are some tips you should follow:

• Do know the type of wood your furniture is made of. Knowing is a big part of cleaning and maintaining. If you know what your tables are made of, then you will know which cleaners not to use and which to use, and shopping for cleaning products will be much easier.

• Do use a moist clean cloth (or a microfiber cloth) to dust the surface of your wooden furniture. The microfiber cloth is the best solution to any dust problem.

• Do use a feather duster if you don’t have a soft cloth or a softer head of the vacuum cleaner (so that you don’t scratch any surfaces).

• Don’t use a commercial cleaner on a piece of furniture with no protective coating. Try to use only organic methods.

• Don’t ever use a cleaning agent before reading the label first.

• Do use organic soap or dishwasher liquid to clean wood. Mix water with this kind of soap and scrub over the spots you want to clean. The result should be immediate.

• Don’t immediately start cleaning the wooden surface. First test out the cleaning solution you have chosen by applying it on a small area of the surface to see if it causes any discolouration or damage.

• Do use soap when trying to remove a stain, and don’t forget to rinse with pure water once the cleaning is done.

• Do polish the wooden surface for protection.

• Don’t polish the surface more than twice a year.

• Don’t use polish on older furniture pieces. Some antique furniture is not very suitable for polishing, so always test out whether the polish spray or wax you have will work first.

• Do dust and clean the furniture thoroughly before applying polish or you might create folds and dents if you polish over a piece of dirt.

• Do apply thin layers so that the furniture’s surface is actually visible and so that you still use it and not the layer of polish as a surface.

• Do apply the polish in a well-ventilated area for your own safety. Some polishes are harmful for the respiratory system. Always read the label.

• Do apply oil treatment and not polish on hardwood surfaces such as oak, beech, or mahogany.

• Do wait for the oil, or polish, or any finish to dry out completely before using the surface. After the layer is completely dry, make a final wiping with a damp cloth to clean the layer.

• Do use coasters to protect both surfaces and layers of polish from watermarks and hot cups.

And with this you should be ready to face the challenges of having wooden furniture in the house. Once you pick up on how to maintain the furniture, everything else becomes really simple. Even home cleaning is now a piece of cake, what with your furniture only needing a quick wipe every now and then.