How to Clean Wood Furniture

Who doesn’t love clean wood furniture that looks as beautiful now as it did years ago? Keeping wood furniture clean adds to its beauty and will help maintain its timeless appearance. Most new wood furniture pieces generally come with manufacture information and care instructions. Always save these instructions. If the furniture piece has a drawer, just slide the care instructions in the drawer so you’ll always have them handy. This can save you a lot of time and cleaning anguish in the future. Follow these instructions carefully. Refer back to them when needed and keep them with the piece of furniture so you don’t have to hunt to find them every time you get out your dust rag or dust cloth.

Different types of woods and veneers require different types of cleaning products. Before using a wood cleaner, always read which types of wood the product is safe to use on. Even then, test the product in a small inconspicuous area on the wood just to be sure that it is safe to use on your piece of wood furniture.

Products that help keep dust off of wood furniture keep help you keep your furniture shiny and possibly lemon or orange scented, but even these types of products can leave film and residue build-up over time and after continued use. One particular product that I often use on wood furniture with great cleaning success is Murphy’s Oil Soap. The scent is mild and I’ve had great success with it on older pieces of wooden furniture as well as newer ones.

Also consider natural wood cleaners and dust products. Natural Lambswool dusters are a great investment! Lambswool dusters attract and hold dust, and they are not electrostatic so they’re also safe to use on computers, electronics, and even on the most delicate pieces of furniture. If you’ve never tried one, you’re certainly missing out on an excellent cleaning tip.

Part of cleaning wood furniture also means protecting it from avoidable harm. You’ve heard the saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The same is true in keeping wood furniture clean. It’s much easier to provide overnight guests with coasters in their bedroom ahead of time than to try and clean unsightly water rings off of Great-Grandma Ida’s favorite nightstands!

Consider other things that might damage your wood furniture too. Wax from dripping candles is a good example. Other examples that many, ladies in particular, do not think of are perfumes, lotions, and oils. Once, a scented oil perfume leaked on my dresser without my knowledge, and before I realized it the damage had already been done. The light oak color was permanently stained. Glue, magic markers, and other craft projects items are all other things that should be avoided if you expect your wood furniture to remain clean.

If you have wooden furniture that you especially want to stay clean and nice, consider lace doilies, runners, tablecloths, or even plexiglass table covers to help ensure that the wood stays protected and clean.