It’s not uncommon for wooden furniture to become very dirty, and it needs to be cleaned properly. To clean wooden furniture, there are a number of important steps to follow. Here are ten tips on how to clean wooden furniture.
Follow the guide!
1. Cleaning raw wood furniture with black soap
The first tip is to clean your raw wood furniture with black soap. Black soap is an effective natural product that can replace many household cleaning products. Black soap is a good ecological and economical choice. Black soap is a natural multi-purpose cleaner, suitable for many household stains around the home. Here’s how to use it:
- Pour an equal amount of liquid black soap and warm water into a container.
- Mix and use a soft-bristle brush with this solution to clean the raw wood.
- After washing, rinse the furniture well with a damp cloth and then dry it well with a new soft cloth.
This mixture of black soap and hot water also helps to reduce that old-fashioned smell in wooden furniture.
2. Cleaning with baking soda
The second tip uses baking soda to clean wooden furniture. Here’s how to do it:
- Cut a lemon in half and rub the soiled wood with the lemon.
- Mix a little warm water with baking soda to form a semi-liquid paste.
- Then rub the wood with a cloth and this mixture of water and baking soda.
- Rinse with a new damp cloth and dry the wooden furniture to finish.
Baking soda can be slightly abrasive, so use it with care on the furniture, this recipe is well suited to particularly soiled and stained furniture.
3. Cleaning with soda crystals
The third tip is to clean with soda crystals. Here’s how to do it after putting on gloves:
- Mix some soda crystals and a little warm water in a bowl.
- Mix well, then use a sponge soaked in the solution to scrub the wood.
- Rinse with a slightly damp sponge or cloth.
- Finally, dry well with another soft, dry cloth.
This mixture can also be abrasive, so clean gently with small circular movements.
4. Cleaning waxed furniture
The fourth tip is for waxed wooden furniture. In these cases, white vinegar is the product of choice for these types of wooden furniture.
If the furniture is particularly dirty, white vinegar will be a good deep-cleaning ally. Here’s how it works
- Pour a few drops of white vinegar onto a soft cloth.
- Rub the wood, paying particular attention to stains on the furniture.
- Rinse and quickly wipe the whole piece with another soft, dry cloth.
It’s important to rinse well to avoid any traces of vinegar on the wood.
5. Tea to clean varnished wood
The fifth tip is to clean wood with tea. Here’s what to do:
- Brew tea of your choice and leave to cool.
- Take a soft cloth, soak it in tea and rub the varnished wood furniture.
- Finally, polish the surface with a soft, dry microfiber cloth.
This tip is also suitable for wooden floors – it’s an old grandmother’s recipe worth knowing.
6. Clean with turpentine
Turpentine is ideal for cleaning wood, and is the sixth tip.
This product cleans and protects wood, and makes it shine! For heavily soiled furniture, you can combine ammonia with turpentine for greater effectiveness.
- Put on gloves.
- Mix equal parts ammonia and turpentine.
- Soak a cloth in the mixture.
- Scrub and wash the furniture, concentrating on stubborn stains.
- Wipe with a clean, damp cloth to complete the cleaning.
This tip works well on painted and varnished wood furniture. To be on the safe side, start with a small area to see what happens.
7. Cleaning with water and dishwashing soap
The seventh tip uses water and dishwashing soap. A very basic cleaner, but one that also works well on wood. Here’s how to do it:
- Mix a little liquid dish soap with preferably lukewarm water.
- Rub the painted wood with a well wrung-out sponge or cloth.
- Dry with a new soft cloth.
It is important to dry well to remove the soapy water.
8. Restoring the shine of wooden furniture with linseed oil
The eighth tip focuses on brightening up wooden furniture with linseed oil. Here’s how to do it:
- In a bowl, mix linseed oil with a little rubbing alcohol.
- Using a microfiber cloth, rub and polish the furniture with the mixture.
- Leave to dry for a few minutes, then polish the wood again with another soft, dry cloth.
Linseed oil will restore the shine of your wooden furniture.
9. Bleach to clean raw wood
The penultimate tip concerns unfinished wooden furniture made of pine, oak or cherry, which can be cleaned with bleach. Here’s how to proceed:
- Scrub the soiled furniture vigorously to make it nice and clean. Please note that this tip only applies to untreated wooden furniture.
- This recipe is not recommended for furniture that you may consider to be very valuable. It’s better to try this cleaning method for everyday furniture that isn’t too valuable.
Bleach has a whitening effect which can also affect wood, so caution is advised.
10. Perfect dusting of antique wooden furniture
A final tip concerns the art of dust removal from wooden furniture. Antique and valuable wooden furniture deserves a great deal of attention when it comes to cleaning, and it all starts with a good dusting.
This is done with a cloth slightly dampened with lukewarm water. The tips outlined above are not necessarily suitable for these types of furniture, which require special attention. Better to be cautious!
