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How to Clean Wood Furniture

Learn how to clean wood furniture effectively, preserving its beauty and shine with simple, gentle methods for long-lasting care.

Materials

  • Murphy Oil Soap Wood Cleaner
  • Howard Products Feed-N-Wax Wood Polish & Conditioner
  • Microfiber Cloth or rag
  • Wood Filler (optional)
  • Barkeeper’s Friend (optional)
  • Vaseline (optional)

Instructions

  • The first step is to pour Murphy’s oil soap into a large bowl, bucket, or pot of warm water. You can also use mild dish soap if you do not have Murphy’s oil soap.
    Take a clean microfiber cloth or rag and dip the cloth into the cleaning solution. Wring out the excess water and begin wiping down the wooden furniture. Avoid using too much water or leaving excess water on the surface of the wood. This could leave water stains on the furniture and possibly even warp the wood. 
    Ensure all the surfaces, including the sides, top, and inside of the drawers, get cleaned with mild soap. The soap will help remove layers of grime and dirt on the wooden piece.
  • If your wood furniture has any scratches or stains, there are a few ways to attempt to remove it. Here are the techniques that you can try. 
    • Scratches –  Use wood filler to care for the deep, visible scratches on the wood furniture. This will require some light sanding and the possible application of a new finish coat.
    • Water Ring – If there are water rings or marks on the furniture, you can apply Vaseline or mayonnaise directly on the impacted area of the wood. Give it about an hour or so to absorb. Wipe it away with a damp cloth and continue to wipe until the stain is no longer there. 
    • Sticky spots or Glue Residue – Try using a plastic scraper to remove stickers, sticky residue, and glue remnants on the furniture. You can also use the edge of a credit card to do this. Once you get up as much as you can, put a small amount of olive oil on a clean cloth and rub the affected area. This should help remove the remaining sticky or glue residue. 
  • Apply the Howard Products Feed-N-Wax Wood Polish & Conditioner liberally to the wood furniture using a dry microfiber cloth and rub it on its surface. Polishing the furniture will help to restore its original shine and luster while protecting it from damage that future spills, stains, and scratches may cause. 
  • Make sure you apply the furniture polish evenly, following the wood grain. Go in circular motions with the soft cloth when rubbing the polish onto the entire surface.
    Then let it soak in and dry. You should now have a cleaner, richer-looking wood piece of furniture.