How To Clean Old Wood Furniture Naturally
Wood furniture is a nice addition to your house. It gives your house a naturistic feel about it because of how aesthetically pleasing it is to the eyes. However, this furniture needs cleaning every now and then to keep its colors from fading away. Knowing how to clean old wood furniture naturally is the best and cost-effective way for you to clean your furniture.
Moreover, cleaning old wood furniture isn’t as labor-intensive as one would expect. However, it may require a little time and an ample effort to get the job done and resurrect you what was once old-looking furniture returned to life. In this article, I’ll teach you with home remedy for cleaning wood furniture and why it is important to clean them.
How to Clean Old Wood Furniture Naturally
Cleaning doesn’t only mean keeping it clean and make it more aesthetically pleasing. Cleaning also prevents further damage caused by constant exposure to the sun when placed outside or simply minimizes the effects of the wear and tear of the furniture due to constant use. Knowing how to clean old wood furniture naturally does not have to be a chore that is hard to do. You’ll only need a few materials and simple steps to do this.
Things you’ll need:
- Soft cloth such as a microfiber cloth
- Water
Step 1
To start, always ensure that you have to softest cleaning cloth possible. This will prevent small scratches from occurring due to the constant motion when wiping every part of the furniture. Rough wiping materials should be highly avoided to avoid getting scratches all over the furniture, once you’ve gathered your materials.
Step 2
For cleaning dust, the best possible way to wipe off dust if to stroke your cleaning cloth throughout the entire furniture. If you find it hard for these dust to come off, then adding enough water to your cloth should answer this problem. Only damp water, don’t let the cloth get wet as if it was just washed in a bucket. You’ll just need the right amount of water to be damp enough to be able to wipe off any existing fingerprints and smears.
As you clean your furniture at home, it should be an essential chore to do every day is to dust your furniture. This will prevent further dust buildup and making it look more pleasing to the eyes. Remember, a well-cleaned wood is a joy to have inside your home.
Why Should You Avoid Commercial Grade Cleaners?
Perhaps, you want to know more about some home remedy for cleaning wood furniture. Although we are discussing cleaning wood furniture ‘naturally,’ it would be best not to use any commercial grade cleaners.
When you are cleaning wood furniture, it is still the best to use natural methods rather than relying on these harmful wood cleaners. In case you don’t know, some of these commercial-grade cleaners are loaded with harsh chemicals that may contribute to your furniture's overall degradation.
Also, these cleaning products may have the potential to irritate the skin due to harmful ingredients. For me, you should use non-toxic or natural products when cleaning old wood furniture. For example, beeswax is a great cleaning tool to have when restoring old pieces of wood for your furniture. Since beeswax is a natural cleaning product, it won’t harm your old wood furniture.
Waxing your furniture regularly prevents further damage caused by constant exposure to sunlight. Waxing is like a form of sunblock for humans. It prevents sunlight from breaking in parts of the wood furniture.
Furthermore, using wax for your old furniture minimizes the possibility of your furniture getting smudged or scratched. Luckily, furniture made in recent years are sealed to prevent scratches and spills, it primarily serves as skin protection for furniture.
Other Wood Cleaning Alternatives
One useful way to learn how to clean old wood furniture naturally is with the use of oil. Oils are a good alternative to keep your old wood furniture looking like brand new. Most people use oil to clean their old wood furniture, tables, tabletop, and many more. Oils are easily available in your local store or even at your kitchen drawers, plus they are quite cheap too!
Using oil to clean old wood furniture keeps it shiny and prevents from scratches and drying out. How to clean old wood furniture naturally with the use of oils? Just by simply putting oil onto old furniture and wipe out the entire furniture. Ensure that every part is covered with the oil.
Another thing to look at when trying to clean old wood furniture is fading, and as I’ve mentioned earlier, old wood furniture tends to fade its cooler very fast when it is exposed constantly to sunlight. To prevent this, try placing your wood furniture in a place where there is minimal exposure to sunlight if it happens, there is no other choice, placing something on top of the furniture to prevent constant exposure.
How to Prevent Further Damage
Heat, water, and sunlight are the primary culprits in the degradation of your wooden furniture. Keeping your furniture clean at all times only requires minimal effort. There is also a preventive measure to take to preserve the outdoor appearance of your wooden furniture, including:
If spillage in your wooden furniture occurs, quickly wipe away all the remaining wet surface and prevent them from seeping inside the wood. Always use placemats on top of wooden tables. Use coasters on wooden furniture as glasses filled with liquids can potentially damage the surface of the wooden furniture. Here's how to learn more about wood furniture care.
Conclusion
Knowing how to clean old wood furniture naturally will prove beneficial in the long run as it minimizes further degradation of wood. Plus, keeping it clean is a minimal task, and you can do it any time of the day.
Most importantly, keeping your old wood furniture well maintained should give you longevity and durability in the long run. For me, keeping them as clean as possible is the key!
