Although wooden furniture is beautiful and it can complement any room in your house, it also needs to be cleaned and regularly cared for to ensure its natural beauty. When cleaned naturally, wooden furniture can easily outlast its owners given its durability. If you own a beautiful furniture piece it is not uncommon to pass this on to your family. Wood can be looking great for years. So, how do we clean wood furniture naturally? Below we’ll break it down into easy steps to follow.
How to clean wood furniture naturally
Cleaning wood furniture does not have to be hard work. However, there are one of two steps that should be taken on a regular basis. This can be scheduled as part of your cleaning schedule. From pine to mahogany, the cleaning and caring rules are similar so no matter what you are looking after, read on to discover how to care for it properly.
First steps
Let’s start with the basics. All you need for the first steps in cleaning wood furniture are the following:
- A soft cloth such as microfibre
- Water
To begin, pleasure ensure that a soft and clean cloth as mentioned above is used on all the wooden furniture. This is key because it will prevent small scratches occurring from rough materials and will stop dirt and grime becoming lodged into the furniture. For cleaning dust, smears and fingerprints simply wipe down your furniture with the cloth. If you find that these prints do not come off, use little water to damp the cloth. Please ensure that the cloth is not wet. You’ll want to have enough water so that the microfibre cloth is damp enough to be able to clean properly. As you clean your home, dusting your furniture regularly with a cloth is important to keep the wood looking its best.
Avoid commercial grade wood cleaners
If possible it is best to avoid all commercial products when you’re in the process to clean your wood furniture. These cleaning products are loaded with chemicals which can have a negative effect on your furniture. We recommend non-toxic or natural products to treat your furniture. For example, beeswax is a great way to treat older wood. Since this is a natural cleaning product, it will not harm the wood in any way. Waxing your furniture regularly will protect it against sunlight, termites and other bugs also. Further, using wax on your furniture will also help prevent the wood getting scratched and marked. These days most wooden furniture is sealed with a product when it is made which helps protect it against spills and scratches however older furniture pieces have not gotten this treatment. So keep in mind this as a way of cleaning your wood furniture naturally.
Other cleaning alternatives
What are other alternatives on how to clean wood furniture? Oils for example, are another natural way to clean. If you are using olive oil, you’re in luck already. Most people use oil to treat their furniture including kitchen counter tops and tables. The oil is absorbed into the wood easily and brings out the grain.
Using oil to clean wood furniture is good because it prevents the wood from drying and cracking. How to clean wood furniture with oil? It’s very easy and practical, just pour some olive oil onto a clean cloth and wipe out your furniture ensuring that all the surface has been covered. Let it dry out, that’s it.
Another thing to look for when learning how to clean wood furniture is fading. Wood usually fades if kept in constant sunshine. Given this, try to place all wooden furniture out of direct heat and sun if possible. When using glasses on tables for example, be careful that the water from the glass does not go directly into the wood, use a coaster to prevent this.
Preventing furniture from damage
Heat, water and sunlight can be damaging to wood. As mentioned above, keeping your furniture clean takes minimal effort however, you’ll have to do it on a regular basis. There are some preventative measures that you can take to keep you wood furniture looking best. Some suggestions are the following:
- Always use coasters on wooden furniture as having glasses filled with liquid can damage the wood surface over time
- If you happen to spill on your wooden table, please wipe it immediately as this will eliminate the possibility of the wood becoming damaged
- If you’re serving hot meals, use placemats
- Learn how to clean water marks from wood furniture. We wrote an entire article on How To Remove Wanter Marks from Furniture.
Having said the above tips, now you are in a better position to know how to clean wood furniture whether is pine living room furniture, antique dining room furniture or a beautiful mahogany piece.
If you have any other suggestions on how to clean wood furniture please share them with us in the comments. We’ll love to hear how other people keep their furniture in top shape.