Hardwood is the most commonly used material for manufacturing furniture all over the world. Therefore, it’s no big surprise that you can find wooden furniture pieces in almost all households nowadays. Nothing can match the aesthetic appeal of wood furniture and thus, people choosing wood furniture make the most righteous decision.
However, wood furniture (like any other type of furniture) has to be kept clean for maintaining the furniture’s aesthetic appeal and attractiveness throughout its lifespan. No need to mention that good furniture maintenance practices lead to improved furniture longevity and vice versa.
How can you take good care of your wood furniture pieces? In this article by Custom Furniture Dubai, we’re going to answer this question and help you get the most out of your wood furniture from the aesthetical as well as practical point of view.
The Useful Tips & Tricks To DIY Clean Wood Furniture Like A Pro
As for all furniture items, dust is abrasive and will damage wood furniture as well. However, it’s not only dust that you need to deal with for wooden furniture because spills, stains, spots, marks, and many other causes also need to be addressed. And you’re lucky to have found this article because we’re going to explain to you the process to eliminate all causes that hinder the aesthetics of your wood furniture.
Materials/Tools Required
You need to arrange for the required materials to get the job done timely and without any hassle.
- Microfiber cloth
- Dust Mask
- Feather Duster
- Paper Towels
- Bucket
- Sponge
- Rubber Gloves
- Clean Rags
- Cotton Swabs (Better If Arranged)
- Water
- Dishwashing Liquid/Agent
- Mineral Spirits
Start With Routine Cleaning Of Wood Furniture
Wooden furniture when cleaned on a regular basis involves taking care of spills, dusting, and removing heavy grime from the furniture surfaces and edges. We’ve explained all these processes separately below.
1. Dealing With Spills
Spills on wooden furniture surfaces are quite common, especially in households with kids roaming around. To clean away spills, you need to take a paper towel or soft, clean cloth piece to instantly blot away liquid spills and concentrated beverages. Take a microfiber cloth and clean the wood surface to restore its shiny appearance.
Also, if it’s a highly concentrated liquid solution (sticky juices), the first step remains the same likewise. However, you’ll have to add some water to the spilled liquid for decentralizing the solution and making it easier to get removed.
2. Opt For Regular Dusting
To maintain the wooden furniture’s shine and gleaming appearance, you need to follow a daily dusting routine. It helps prevent dust from piling up over time and thus, averting damage due to this reason. You can use a feather duster or soft-bristled brush to tackle this daily task.
3. Remove Grime From Wood Furniture
When you dust the wooden furniture pieces on a routine basis, you’ll not encounter heavy grime on the furniture pieces. However, there will be some corners, curves, and edges left untouched with dusting and need to be cleaned properly.
It’s not exactly a routine practice but rather performed on an occasional basis. And, you’ll find a noticeable difference in the furniture outlook before and after the grime removal. For this purpose, you can use a sponge dipped in a liquid dishwashing solution.
4. Buff/Shine The Wooden Furniture Surfaces
Again, this is not a routine practice but rather performed from time to time, especially in case of home events. For this purpose, you can make an inexpensive purchase of a wood surface shiner available on the market. Just apply the buff to make your furniture piece look like its brand new version.
Move On To Deep Cleaning Of Wood Furniture
For deep cleaning procedures, you need to have a strong wood cleaning agent that can cut through buildup wax on wooden surfaces. There are two best options to cope with a deep cleaning for wooden furniture i.e. black tea solution and mineral spirits.
1. Apply Black Tea Solution To Wood Surfaces
Actually, black tea contains tannic acid that can easily transcend layers of heavy buildup wax without damaging the wooden surfaces. It will require you to add 2 tea bags of black tea in 2 cups of hot water to create an effective solution. When the solution gets mildly warm, you can dip a clean cloth or cotton swab in and apply it on the wood furniture to be cleaned.
Once the furniture has been cleaned using this solution, you can rinse the wood surface using clean water and a soft cloth. Now, all the grime will come off the furniture surface quite easily. Then, you just need to dry the wood furniture and buff it for a shiny appearance.
2. Remove Stains Using Mineral Spirits
Mineral spirit is a pretty strong solution obtained after petroleum distillation. It’s used for removing paint, varnishes, and stains from various surfaces. However, you should prioritize personal safety prior to dealing with mineral spirit. So, you’ll have to wear protective gear and rubber gloves for this purpose.
For this purpose, you’ll have to dip a clean cloth rag (from one corner) in the mineral spirit. Then, use that corner to rub and wipe the stain on the wooden furniture surface. Always make sure not to be vigorous while rubbing the furniture surface. Because doing so can the patterns carved on the wooden furniture surface for decoration purposes.
Also, you need to move to a clean area of the cloth rag when it gets dirty. The last step is the same and requires you to rinse the furniture using a cloth dipped in clean water. Then, you need to dry and apply the buff to the furniture surface for making it shine like brand new.
Maintaining The Wooden Furniture Appearance
Even though using buff to shine the furniture will improve the aesthetic appeal of the wooden furniture product, the results won’t ideally be the same as in the start. That’s because wood furniture manufacturers apply a coat of varnish as a finishing layer to keep the furniture looking shiny afterward.
And, this top coat of wooden furniture products requires renewal after a certain period of time. For this purpose, you can polish or apply wax to your wooden furniture piece. Doing so will keep your wood furniture items glossy in appearance for longer periods of time.
To Summarize!
Cleaning wood furniture or any other type of furniture is mandatory to keep the product looking attractive, desirable, and shiny. In this article, we’ve divided and explained the cleaning procedure for wood furniture in different categories i.e. routine cleaning, deep cleaning, stain removal, and polishing. Now, you can DIY clean and maintain your wooden furniture’s appearance without needing to pay any extra to the professionals.