If you are worried about how to clean wood furniture, having a better understanding of the type of wood and identifying better ways to work with it will help you a lot. There are several kinds of wooden furniture that should be cleaned in different ways. When it comes to cleaning your wood furniture, there is no single method that suits all wood types. Here are some tried and tested methods that give a perfect look to your age old wooden furniture.
Unsealed wooden furniture
If you are having this kind of furniture, damping and dusting method will be the best option instead of cleaning them with different cleaners. Other types of furniture may require different polishing and cleaning products to make them look like-new again. Here are some tips for cleaning wooden furniture.
Always dust and clean your furniture in the direction of grain as doing this regularly will be beneficial for the wood in holding onto the patterns that are distinctive to the wood type.
While any cloth type will do in cleaning wooden furniture, those made of microfibers are best as they scoop out and hold the dust. With other cloth types, you’ll be just shifting the dust from one place to another.
Spray polishing also is a better option for cleaning wood. Choose only those that are easy on the wood than those with high concentration of chemicals. Polishing with such types will dull the wood over time.
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If you just want to dust the wood. Here’s what you’ll need:
Soft cotton fabric: Even your old tees and cleaning cloths will bring good results. Just don’t forget to damp them to make the dust stick to it.
Standard dusters: A quill duster will not only remove dust from sensitive wood surfaces. It will further give a polished look to the furniture.
Wool dusters: Soft dusters made out of lamb’s wool pick up dust easily as they contain lanolin that helps making the dust stick to them.
Towels: Terry towels will surely come to your rescue when you clean your wooden furniture next time. They are also better to make the furniture damp-free after cleaning them with wet cloths.
There are also different cleaning methods for different type of finishes on the wood. Here’s a quick look at how to clean wood furniture based on their finishes:
Furniture with paint finishes: Using a mild washing liquid that low concentration of chemicals is an effective way to clean. Wash it up to shift grain and grease from the wood’s surface.
Unsealed furniture: Wash the furniture with just water and avoid using soapy liquid. If at all you want to use them, rinse a cloth in the liquid and clean it followed by quick cleaning with a dry cloth.
Stain finish furniture: Try to limit your cleaning regimen to just damp-dry or dust. Another way is to clean them as you would treat unsealed wooden furniture.
Furniture finished in varnish: Clean with a damp cloth and avoid over wetting. Clean quickly with a dry cloth quickly to save precious wood.
Veneer finishes: They should be cleaned with utmost care. Use a sponge dipped in mild cleaning agent to clean this kind of furniture. Or just damp and dust them.
Always clean your furniture with proper care. Otherwise you are spoiling the valued items instead of making them look good. If you are cleaning large furniture items like a wardrobe or kitchen cabinets, gather your tools and keep them handy for a smooth and hassle-free cleaning regimen. Also, lay some sheets of plastic or newspapers on the floor so that you do not damage the floor while you clean your furniture.