How to clean wooden furniture?
When choosing furniture for our homes, we are guided not only by its functionality but also by its aesthetic values. After all, we want the furniture, apart from its main function, to become an ornament of the whole interior – not only immediately after its purchase but for many years to come. Keeping them in good condition is especially important when we decide to invest in wooden furniture.
Deciding to use solid wood furniture in our design, we gain a chance to completely change the character of each room. Such elements as nothing else have the ability to give the interior elegance and unique style. However, this effect can destroy dirt and damage visible on wood and disturb its natural beauty. Fortunately, such a risk can be very easily reduced to a minimum, it is enough to use appropriate methods of maintenance.
Regular cleaning of wooden furniture and the use of appropriate techniques and agents to take care of the surface of the wood will make its beautiful appearance delight both us and all our guests for many years to come. Natural wood requires a completely different approach than other materials, so universal solutions will not work here. So what should you know about taking care of wooden furniture?
WHAT KIND OF WOOD IS MOST OFTEN USED TO MAKE FURNITURE?
Nowadays, a huge number of species of trees are used in the production of furniture – however, not every type of wood offers the same. We will notice a difference in the durability of wood, its hardness and resistance to abrasion – which also translates into the price of the final product. For this reason, some species are much more popular on the market. The most popular is undoubtedly oak for many years now, but also pine, ash, beech or larch – all these species are characterized by a high degree of hardness and durability.
However, it is worth remembering that the species of the wood itself does not yet prove the real value of a given piece of furniture. The quality of the material used and the techniques used by the manufacturer of wooden furniture also have a significant impact. In the case of the Nizio offer, we most often use pine and beech wood, with the option of using oak wood on customer request.
HOW TO CLEAN THE WOOD SO THAT OUR FURNITURE DOES NOT LOSE ITS BEAUTIFUL APPEARANCE?
Cleaning furniture from wood does not have to be a difficult task, but it requires from us the right approach and the use of appropriate accessories. We must remember, above all, that no chemicals intended for other types of surfaces should ever be used to clean wooden surfaces. So if we have to remove dirt that goes beyond the usual layer of dust, which requires the use of a detergent, it is best to opt for one that is specifically designed for wood care. In most situations, water alone should be sufficient to clean the surface.
However, since moisture can have a negative effect on the condition of the wood, care should also be taken when using water. First of all, we need to avoid water accumulating on the surface of furniture – it should not be directly affected, but only with a slightly damp cloth or sponge. When choosing a material that will be used to wash the furniture, we must also remember to choose one that is so delicate that it will not leave any scratches or scratches. A treatment consisting of rubbing the surface of the wood with a damp material is sufficient to get rid of the accumulated layer of dust or small dirt.
It is also worth remembering that not all our furniture is exposed to dirt in the same way. Definitely, more attention is required from us on wooden tables, the top of which may suffer as a result of everyday use, than wooden wardrobes standing under the wall – in their case we have to take care mainly of regular abrasion of the accumulated dust.
How to take care of solid oak rustic furniture to maintain its quality?
Woodcare may look completely different also due to the type of furniture finish. We must therefore be aware that in order to preserve their beauty and quality, we must take care of our shelves, tables or wooden chests of drawers in an appropriate manner.
A slightly soaked cloth is sufficient for cleaning natural wood furniture. Gently moving along the rings, we can easily remove dust and dirt. It is also worthwhile to prepare a second, dry piece of material with which we will wipe the surface of the furniture again in order to get rid of any possible accumulation of water.
Lacquered furniture should also be cleaned only with a slightly dampened cloth because lacquered wood does not like contact with water. Chemicals should also be avoided unless it is a special liquid for lacquered furniture that will also take care of the surface.
In the case of waxed wood furniture, soft cotton cloth is sufficient to wipe off any accumulated dust and after cleaning, we can also restore the shine of the surface by polishing it with circular movements. When using wax for maintenance purposes, make sure that the surface of the wood is completely dry and the layer applied is thin and uniform in every place.
For the care of oiled wood, you will need the same type of oil that was used to impregnate it for the first time. After cleaning the surface of the furniture from dust, a thin layer of oil is applied to the wood using a clean soft cloth.
Old wood also requires an individual approach. So if we have antiques at home that we want to take care of, it is extremely important to get specialist preparations created for such furniture. It should also be remembered that any kind of care treatment that we want to give our furniture must be preceded by thorough cleaning and drying of the furniture – only then can we apply care products to its surface.
How to clean the furniture, remove dust, hair and greasy stains?
We will start cleaning the furniture. Most often we find wooden furniture or in wood veneer.
1) Do you want to clean the furniture? You can vacuum and polish the wooden surface with a cloth soaked in baby oil, cooled tea essence or vinegar. Before you start cleaning the furniture, you can dampen the surface with water, for example using a plant sprayer. This will ensure that the dust doesn’t float during vacuuming and you will clean it more thoroughly.
2) You will refresh the surface of your leather furniture with a mixture of vinegar and linseed oil (1:1).
3) There is also a recipe for revitalising wooden furniture surfaces or wainscoting that have become dull and grey. Simply wipe them with a mixture of water, vinegar and olive oil (1:2:2). This mixture also works well when there are traces of dishes on the tabletop, e.g. rings of wet glasses.
4) You can remove dust or hair from the upholstery with adhesive tape.
5) Greasy stains from furniture as well as from carpets or rugs, try to remove them with talcum powder, flour or baking soda. Sprinkle the dirty area and wait a few hours until the fat is absorbed and then collect the “lure” with a hoover.
6) Vinegar is a good mirror and glass cleaner: spread two teaspoons in two litres of water. Apply this mixture in regular newspapers to give the glass a better shine. If you have paintings hanging on the wall inexpensive gilded frames, it is best to refresh them by rubbing them with a cut, raw potato. In this way, we also clean wooden furniture.
7) Curtain bleach. Soak them for half an hour in a solution of 4 litres of water with the addition of a pointed spoon of the curtain bleach. Then wash them.
8) Cleaned and refreshed living room needs still a pleasant scent, which we get thanks to prepared natural air freshener. The natural composition will make you feel the beautiful scent but will also decorate the room. The natural air freshener will be a saucer with wine vinegar or lemon juice. We can also use essential oils.
9) We can also make ecological cleaning wipes ourselves. We will need a fairly large, rectangular plastic container with a lid, a roll of paper towels. Cut the roll in half and make a hole in the lid wide enough to take out our wipes. Now pour into the container a mixture consisting of 3 tablespoons of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 lemon juice dissolved in half a litre of water. Place the cut roll in the middle, pulling the end out through the slot. We wait a dozen or so hours for the cleaning mixture to be well absorbed by our own handmade and ecological cleaning wipes.
10) Dry Flower Bouquets – in order to keep the dried bouquet in a vase all winter, pour two centimetres of the mixture of 1 glass of borax with 2 glasses of cornflour onto the bottom of the prepared container, cut the stems to the desired length, place the flowers in the container and sprinkle with the remaining powder from above. Then close the container for 10 days and remove the bouquet and shake the powder off with a soft brush. We can also extend the life of the cut flowers by adding borax to the water.
Natural fresheners
1) Natural essential oils – natural extracts and oils have properties that can enhance the antibacterial and antiviral effects of cleaning agents.
Antibacterial properties are laurel, camphor, cardamom, citronella, cypress, eucalyptus, ginger, juniper, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, lime, orange, pine, rosemary, sage, sandalwood, tea tree, thyme.
Antiviral properties: cinnamon, eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, oregano, sandalwood, tea tree.
2) If you place a cotton wool soaked in vinegar or a bowl of baking soda in a shoe cabinet, car boot or in a damp bathroom, after a few hours the smell will not be as intense or will disappear completely. Other food products also have the same properties.
3) You will refresh your microwave oven by inserting a vessel with vanilla essence into it.
4) You can remove the unpleasant smell from the fridge with cotton wool soaked in lemon juice. You can also put a plate of coffee grounds in the fridge for a few hours.
5) Moisture from the bathroom will absorb the charcoal dryer into the grill. Put the briquettes in a can, close it and make a few holes in the lid. Replace the cartridge after a few weeks.
6) Use cloves instead of anti-moth. Put a handful in a bag and put it in the drawer or hang it in the wardrobe.
7) Cossacks and winter boots should be stuffed with newspapers before being stored in the wardrobe. They will hold the cut of the uppers and the paper will absorb the unpleasant smell.
We wish you a successful cleaning.
