DIY guide to cleaning your wooden furniture

Wooden furniture is one of the most sought after furniture type in the world. It also  looks the most elegant. But at the same time, cleaning and maintaining it can prove to be tricky and time taking. However if you do not clean your wooden furniture pieces properly and regularly, they can begin to look old and dirty very soon. We have brought to you a DIY list of cleaning tips for your wooden furniture which can help you maintain those lovely pieces.

1. Begin with mild cleaning of the wooden furniture

The first step is to find out what is the finish on your wooden pieces and then move forward with mild cleaning accordingly. However if you are not sure of it then you can use any mild cleaner along with a little water to wipe the entire wooden surface. Make sure that you do not use a lot of water as it can easily get trapped and damage the wood.

Image Credits: Flickr

2. Dust the wooden furniture

Once you have wiped the wooden furniture piece, the next step is to wipe off all the loose dirt and dust from the surface. For this you can make use of a clean cloth, preferably cotton in material. A lot of people use feather dusters for cleaning furniture but try and avoid these for wooden furniture since the quills can harm the wooden surface.

3. Use mineral spirits on the wooden surface

Now you need to make use of any kind of mineral spirits on the wooden surface. Paint thinner is a wonderful example of a mineral spirit which works excellently on wood.  What it does is that it helps to wear away grime and other dirt particles that get accumulated.  To use the spirit, you can pour a few drops on a rag, and then use it on the wooden surface.

4. Clean finished wood using a turpentine solution

You can make your own mixture. Mix one quarter cup of turpentine oil along with 3 quarters cup of linseed oil. The linseed oil must be boiled before and put this into a jar. Now mix both well by shaking the jar properly. Pour this mixture onto a cloth and rub the surface with it for a shiny and clean finish.

Image Credits: Pixabay

5. Buff the wooden surfaces using lemon oil

Now in order to buff the surfaces, you can make use of lemon oil. What you can do is that you can use a slightly moistened cloth and dip it in just a little bit of lemon oil. Now use this cloth over the wooden furniture.

If your wooden furniture is unwaxed, then you can use furniture wax over it. This helps to finish the cleaning and maintaining of the furniture.  This must be done in the grain’s direction. Remember all these tips and steps whenever you set out to clean your wonderful wooden tables or chairs etc. This process must be followed every now and then for proper cleaning. However dusting and wiping can be done almost everyday.