Wooden furniture not only brings style and elegance to your home, but also adds character and timeless appeal to it. But it’s important to remember that wood requires timely maintenance. For instance, cleaning intricately carved wooden furniture can be a really difficult and time-consuming task. Nothing looks worse than an ill-kept wooden piece of furniture. But don’t worry, we are here to help you restore the lost shine of your favourite wooden centerpiece. Let’s take a look at some of these DIY ways to polish wood with some household ingredients.
Amazing DIY Ways to Polish Wood
First, determine whether you need to polish the wood or not. If the cupboard or wooden bedpost looks a bit dreary but has not quite lost its sheen, a little dusting and buffing should be the appropriate wood care needed at this point.
If you straightaway start polishing wooden furniture without understanding if it needs it or not, it might leave the wooden surface sticky with a muddy appearance. Once you have decided that it is important to polish wood now, then follow these simple DIY methods to polish wooden furniture at home.
Clean the surface
It is important to first make the surface clean. Take a soft cloth and wipe off the contours of your furniture. If it is carved, use a soft-bristled brush to remove any dust in the carvings.
In the case of stubborn grime, you can use liquid detergent mixed in water. Lightly work its way into the carvings, which will scrub off the dirt and grime, until your furniture is clean. For wooden floors, dry mopping works best to completely clean the surface.
Remove any stains or scratches
If the scratch is only on the finish and is not deep enough to scrape off the wood, then a little lemon water with a few drops of coconut or olive oil can do the trick. Dip a soft cloth in this mixture and work it on the scratch in the direction of the marking until the scratched surface becomes clean. If the scratch is too deep, simply paint it! But use a darker shade on the finish to camouflage the wood scraping.
You can also dip a paintbrush in iodine and fill the scratch with it to make it less visible. One of the simplest tips to remove wood scratches is to peel the outer shell of an almond, a pecan nut or a walnut and slightly rub it on the scratched surface in the direction of the markings. You would be surprised at how fast the scratches disappear.
Homemade polish for wooden furniture
Use these simple household ingredients to make a natural wood polish that has no harmful ingredients or fumes that can be dangerous for you and your loved ones. You will find most of these homemade wood polish ingredients in your kitchen supplies. Before you prepare this mixture, let’s take a look at the ingredients and how they will contribute to restoring the lost shine.
Olive oil has great moisturizing properties. Just like skin, wood also gets dry and chapped during winters. Olive oil or coconut oil can work best for the worn-out piece of furniture. You don’t need to be extravagant with this. A cheaper version of the olive oil – pomace – would work just as well as the most expensive grades – extra virgin olive oil. If you have some leftover olive oil in your kitchen cupboard that may not taste great in a salad dressing, but it can surely polish your wooden furniture.
Vinegar is the agent that cleans wood. It isn’t a good idea to clean wood using a pure and undiluted form of vinegar. If directly applied, the acid in the vinegar can corrode a wooden piece of furniture or in some cases, it can take away the shine. But when it is diluted in water it can help clean surfaces and also acts as a natural disinfectant. Let us take a look at the homemade wood polish recipe.
Homemade Furniture Polish Recipe
Grab an empty bottle. Take 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 3 cups water, few drops of lavender essential oil for a sweet scent. If you don’t have lavender essential oil, a few drops of lemon juice would also act just fine. You can store this mixture for 6 months. Shake it well before using it. Take a soft cloth, soak a corner of it in this mixture and apply it on the wooden furniture. Buff it with a dry cloth and you will see the wooden furniture shine.
How to polish wooden flooring
One of the most effective wood floor polishes is to use 4 cups warm water, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp vinegar, 3 tbsp coconut or olive oil. Combine it in a bottle. Shake it well and store it. To begin with wood floor polishing, first, clean the area using a vacuum cleaner.
Soak a soft cloth with this mixture and slowly work this mixture onto the wooden flooring. Make sure to use more of this solution on any scratches you could find. Let it dry completely. After fifteen minutes, buff the area using a dry cloth to restore the wood’s lost shine.
Should you polish window frames or paint them?
Windows determine the aesthetic of your house. If you are living close to the sea, especially those living in Clifton or Defence, Karachi can face problems in properly maintaining their windows. The ocean’s salty water can affect the wooden frames. It is best to follow a regular wood care routine to keep the frames looking as good as new. You can apply a coat of varnish if the wooden frame looks completely worn-out and off-colour.
A quick DIY way to polish wooden furniture is to make a mixture of ½ cup vinegar, 3 cups water and 3 tbsp olive oil. If you don’t have olive oil, choose either coconut oil or almond oil. They have great moisturizing properties. Shake it well.
Take a soft cloth, dip only one corner of the cloth in the above homemade wood polish mixture and rub it on the wooden frame. If the wood is too dry, it will soak up the olive oil. Apply again until you see a light sheen on the frame. After a few minutes, take a dry cloth and buff the surface. Voila! You now have windows looking as good as new.
Routine care for wood
It is important to take care of wooden furniture on a daily basis. Don’t let any dirt or dust accumulate on wooden surfaces. Keep the wooden furniture away from moisture and also from direct sunlight. During dry weather, make sure you regularly moisturize the wood to keep it hydrated.
Taking care of wooden railings on your terrace
If the wooden structure is exposed to bright sunlight and rain, it is almost impossible to keep the wooden railings looking polished. What you can do is to regularly paint the railings every year.
Whenever it starts looking dull, use a mixture of 1 tbsp liquid glycerin, 3 cups water, 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp vinegar. Shake this mixture well and store it in a pump bottle. Spray this mixture on the wooden railing in your terrace and buff it using a dry cloth to restore the wood’s shine.
Ways to keep wooden flooring protected from scratches and stains
Keep a small rug or a doormat in areas that are commonly used and receive more foot traffic. It is also important to use anti-skid chair/table leg caps so that whenever you pull a chair there are no scratches on the wooden flooring.
Even if you don’t move furniture on wooden flooring on a daily basis, keep a buffer between the floor and your piece of furniture to avoid any possible harm or scratch on your wooden flooring.
If your bedroom has wooden flooring, make sure the wooden tiles near the bathroom are kept dry. When washing the bathroom, make sure you don’t spill water on the hardwood floor in your bedroom. Use a doormat to wipe off wet feet before you enter the bedroom. Follow these simple tips to keep your hardwood floor protected from all possible harm.
So, these were some of the most useful ways to polish wooden furniture using products easily available in your home.
If you plan on embarking on a cleaning spree, you can take a look at some of the DIY ways to clean upholstery and tips to clean carpet stains.
Moreover, if you think you know of a better way of polishing wooden furniture using everyday products or if you want to share your secret recipe of a homemade wood polish, then do share it with us at blog@zameen.com.
Subscribe Zameen Blog for regular updates and informative DIY posts. Happy reading!
