Wood furniture is considered stylish, vintage and durable. That said, with time wood furniture gets dirty with dust and stains, even if you dust and shine it regularly. We have compiled a list of tips on how to clean wood furniture to help make your favourite wooden pieces look as good as new.
Effective Dusting Tools for Wood Furniture
Avoid using all-purpose cleaning sprays when cleaning your wood furnishings, unless the pieces are plastic-coated. The following tools are generally useful for cleaning wood furniture:
Classic feather duster: feather dusters help remove dust from delicate surfaces that can be easily damaged. They are also useful for cleaning mirrors, silk lampshades, art pieces, picture frames and other fragile collectables.
Treated cloths: Lint-free treated non-scratching cleaning cloths help pick up and hold dirt. Use them instead of silicon sprays, which are not recommended for fine wood furniture.
Lamb’s-wool duster: These dusters contain lanolin that attracts dust and makes it cling to the cleaning tool. They are also useful to dust and clean areas that dusting cloths can’t reach. The long handle makes them ideal for hard-to-reach areas, including the top of tall furniture pieces, high shelves, light fixtures, and ceiling fans.
Lint-free cloths: In addition to microfibre cloths, clean cotton T-shirts are also used as dusters.
Tips to Clean Wood Furniture
Let’s go through some useful tips for cleaning wood furniture in detail.
How to Clean Wood Furniture Without Damaging Its Finish
To clean how to clean wood furniture without damaging its finish:
- Remove the surface dust then start making a mixture to remove darker stains
- Use a gentle cleaner or a strong one as needed. Mix a dishwashing soap with a water solution
- Wipe the entire piece with a soft cloth after dipping it in the solution. The cloth shouldn’t be wet, just damp.
- Don’t drench the wood with solution water and rinse the cloth often.
- Thoroughly dry the furniture pieces with another clean cloth.
How to Clean Wood Furniture Old Polish
Here is how to revive an antique with old polish buildup
- Boil water and steep two tea bags.
- Bring the tea to room temperature.
- Dip a soft cloth in the tea till it’s damp and wipe the wood surfaces
- The tea’s tannic acid is great for wood furniture maintenance
How to Clean Wood Furniture Water Rings
It is natural to keep a cup of tea, a cold drink or your water bottle on the table. Sometimes one is busy and doesn’t use a coaster, this leaves water rings on the wood tables. Here’s how to remove water rings from wooden tables:
- Apply any non-gel toothpaste on the wood surface and use a soft cloth to rub it in till the stain is cleaned.
- Mix toothpaste and baking soda in equal parts for other stains that are hard to clean.
- Use a clean damp cloth to wipe the toothpaste off and dry the wood furniture thoroughly.
How to Clean Wood Furniture Ink Marks
Having ink stains on wooden study tables is usual. Here is how to remove ink marks from wood:
- Mix a tablespoon of baking soda and a teaspoon of water to make a thin paste.
- Apply the paste on the stain and gently rub it with a soft cloth till it disappears.
- Use a clean damp cloth to wipe the toothpaste off and dry it carefully.
- Once entirely clean, spread a layer of wood polish on the woof furniture to preserve the finish and add shine.
How to Clean Mould Off Wood Furniture
Here is how to clean mildew and mould from wood furniture in case of fungi on wood furniture:
- Pick up the loose bacteria with a vacuum cleaner that has a soft brush attachment.
- Dip a cloth in light soap or detergent-dissolved water and wipe the wood furniture.
- Use another soft cloth to dry the surface.
- Apply furniture wax to protect the wood furniture finish.
How to Clean Wood Furniture With Surface Scratches
Wood surfaces are always prone to scratches. Here is how to clean wood furniture with scratches:
- If the upper wooden piece surface is somewhat scratched, fill them in with a marker touch-up pen. You can also apply paste wax on the wooden surface with scratches.
- To clean deep scratches, use coloured filler wax sticks or a wood filler. Match it as closely as possible to the colour of your wooden furniture piece. Apply thin layers a couple of times rather than applying one thick layer.
Wood Furniture Care Tips
Odours and kinks can occur even on the highest-quality wood furnishings. That said, here are a few ways of taking care of your wooden pieces of furniture.
- If a wooden vintage furniture piece has a persistent odour, air it outside during the day. However, don’t place the furniture under the sunlight.
- To absorb odours, apply baking soda or you can also use talcum powder
- If the wooden piece has drawers, keep charcoal briquettes in a tray or shallow pan and put them in the drawers.
- For drawers that stick, rub a white candle on the top edge.
That is all about cleaning wood furniture. Knowing how to clean wood furniture properly will help you maintain and preserve its beauty. Moreover, here are a few useful tips to protect outdoor furniture.
Besides, if you are looking to buy furniture, the used furniture shops in Dubai offer a range of options at different prices. For more options, browse through these home furniture items for sale in the UAE – including wooden furniture.
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