How To: Clean Wood Furniture

Homeowners have long relished the smasher, versatility, and formidability of wood furniture—and above all, they ’ ve appreciated its low maintenance. Like the ideal houseplant for brown thumbs, wood furniture survives on its own, requiring short intervention. Every nowadays and again, though, whether ascribable to an accident or convention wear and pluck, you ’ ll need to know how to clean wood furniture to renew its appearance and ensure its longevity. When that inevitable day comes, follow these steps to restore a wood finish to faultless condition without unwittingly causing damage. If you are certain of your wood furniture finish—paint, stain, or some other treatment—then use a cleanse method appropriate for that specific wood finish up. otherwise, it ’ sulfur best to clean the furniture in stages, starting with a meek cleansing agent that poses no risk to the integrity of the complete, then graduating to a stronger solution only if the easy one fails. Proceeding in this room means that you can safely clean wood furniture without knowing precisely what you ’ rhenium dealing with. ad

Reading: How To: Clean Wood Furniture

STEP 1: Dish soap

Start out with possibly the humblest of family cleaners : fluid cup of tea soap .

Add a drop of liquid dish soap to a water-moistened cotton ball.
Next, wipe the cotton ball on an inconspicuous part of the furniture, such as the inside of a chair leg.

If the detergent mars the complete in your test area, then continue without the cup of tea soap. If the test area shows no evidence of damage, it ’ s safe to proceed. Mix water and dish soap in a bucket and use this solution to sponge down the entire piece of furniture. Do not soak the wood ; this is a common mistake. rather, brush the quick study lightly over the open and don ’ t let the liquid tarry for hanker. Dry thoroughly .

STEP 2: Mineral spirits

If you want to see if you can get your furniture a little clean, the future thing to try is mineral spirits. One-quart containers typically sell for $ 10 or $ 15 ( opinion on Amazon ). Be sure to follow the print instructions for condom use. For one thing, working in a well-ventilated sphere is a must. Though mineral spirits should be harmless to wood finishes, you should still test the treatment on an inconspicuous contribution of the furniture to make absolutely sure. If you see no discoloration, proceed to wipe the furniture down with a the a houseclean fabric soaked in ( but not dripping with ) mineral spirits. polish by wiping away any residual clean with a water-moistened fabric, inspecting the wood for blemishes as you go. In many cases, mineral spirits can remove years of dirty.

STEP 3: Consider refinishing

If the eat up reacted negatively when you tested the mineral spirits on your furniture, wear ’ t push your luck—move on. You ’ ll probably want to refinish the piece to rightfully restore it. ad note : To determine the type of finish up that is on your furniture presently, dab some denature alcohol onto a cotton swab and screen it in a little, inconspicuous sphere. If the ending dissolves, that means it ’ s credibly shellac. If the finish stands up to the alcohol, it ’ south credibly petroleum, lacquer, varnish, or polyurethane .

STEP 4: Prevent future damage

If on the other hand you are satisfied with the results of your scavenge efforts ( or you don ’ t want to refinish ), you may wish to protect your furniture from future damage. To do sol, reach for a furniture wax product, such as Howard Feed-N-Wax ( watch on Amazon ) or Daddy Van ’ randomness ( see on Amazon ). Apply the wax liberally with a cheesecloth, always being certain to rub in the direction of the wood texture. Afterward, buff with a clean fabric.