If you have some old wooden furniture in your home, you do not need to toss it out or call in an expensive expert to come and polish or varnish it for you. Sometimes, old wooden furniture simply needs a good cleaning and a little extra care to bring back its natural beauty. In this article, I will show you a few simple furniture cleaning tips and tricks and how to clean old wood furniture using things you may already have around your home.
When I was a little girl, I used to see the elderly women in my community use things like shoe polish and baby oil to clean and shine their wooden furniture.
Their furniture was always sparkling and pretty, and they did not run to the supermarket to buy expensive furniture cleaners. In fact, I think one of the few furniture polishes that was around in those days was Old English Furniture Polish, or something similar.
Many people could not afford to buy those products regularly, so they found their own ways to care for what they had. Those old-fashioned tricks stayed with me, and over the years, I have learned that sometimes the simplest methods can make an old piece of furniture look beautiful again.
In this article, I will show you exactly how to use a few DIY wood furniture cleaners and some of my favorite old-fashioned tricks to make your wooden pieces stand out, no matter how old they are.
How to Clean Old Wood Furniture With Vinegar and Olive Oil
Vinegar and olive oil can be a simple combination for refreshing certain finished wooden furniture. The vinegar helps remove light dirt and grime, while a small amount of olive oil can give the wood a richer, polished appearance.
What you will need:
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- A small bowl or jar
- Two clean, soft cloths
Step 1: Dust the furniture first.
Before adding anything to the wood, wipe away all the loose dust. Pay attention to corners, carvings, legs, and little crevices where dust likes to hide.
Step 2: Mix the vinegar and olive oil.
Pour equal amounts of white vinegar and olive oil into a small jar or bowl. Give the mixture a good shake or stir before using it because the oil and vinegar will naturally separate.
Step 3: Test a hidden spot.
Old furniture can have many different types of finishes, so always test your mixture underneath the furniture or in another hidden area first. Make sure you are happy with the result before cleaning the entire piece.
Step 4: Use only a little mixture.
Dip the corner of a soft cloth into the mixture. You do not want the cloth soaking wet. A little goes a long way.
Step 5: Wipe the wood gently.
Work in small sections and wipe in the direction of the wood grain. Spend a little more time on areas with fingerprints or built-up grime, but do not saturate the wood.
Step 6: Buff away the excess.
Use a separate clean, dry cloth to buff the furniture. Keep buffing until the surface no longer feels oily and you begin to see a nice, natural-looking shine.
How to Clean Wood Furniture With Vinegar
If your furniture mainly needs cleaning rather than polishing, you can also use diluted vinegar without adding oil.
What you will need:
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 to 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- Two soft, clean cloths
Step 1: Remove the dust.
Give the entire piece a good dusting before you start. This prevents you from rubbing loose dirt across the surface.
Step 2: Make a mild vinegar solution.
Mix the warm water and vinegar in a bowl. You do not need a strong vinegar mixture to clean everyday dirt from furniture.
Step 3: Do a spot test.
Test the solution on a small hidden section first, especially when working with antique, unfinished, waxed, painted, or unknown wood finishes.
Step 4: Dampen your cloth.
Dip a soft cloth into the mixture and wring it out very well. The cloth should be damp, not dripping wet.
Step 5: Clean one section at a time.
Gently wipe the furniture, following the direction of the grain. Do not leave water sitting on the surface.
Step 6: Dry as you go.
Follow immediately with a clean, dry cloth. This is especially important with older furniture because you do not want excess moisture sitting on or soaking into the wood.
How I Use Shoe Polish to Shine Old Wood Furniture
This is one of those old-fashioned tricks that takes me right back to the furniture I saw being cared for when I was younger.
Start by cleaning the furniture thoroughly. Remove the dust, fingerprints, sticky spots, and other debris using a clean, damp cloth. Remember, damp—not wet. Once the furniture is clean, allow it to dry completely.
Before applying shoe polish, make sure you are using a color that closely matches the furniture and test it on a hidden area first. I would not use this method on valuable antiques or furniture with an unknown or delicate finish.
Once you know it works well with your piece, apply a very small amount of shoe polish. You do not want to cake it onto the furniture. Lightly spread it over the wood, distributing it as evenly as possible.
Now leave it alone for about 10 to 15 minutes. I find that the better it dries, the nicer the shine can be when you start buffing.
Once it is dry, take a clean, dry cloth and start shining the furniture. I personally like to use a flour sack cloth for this. Keep buffing until you start seeing that beautiful glow coming through. Get into every little corner, crevice, edge, and carved area so the entire piece looks finished.
The difference can be beautiful, especially on an older piece of dark wooden furniture that has started looking a little dull.
How to Clean and Shine Wood Furniture With Baby Oil
Baby oil is another simple trick, but this one can be tricky because too much baby oil can leave your furniture looking and feeling greasy. You really only need a tiny amount.
First, clean the entire piece of furniture. Remove all the dust, crumbs, debris, fingerprints, and sticky residue. Then allow the surface to dry.
Take a clean flour sack cloth and pour just a small touch of baby oil onto the cloth. Do not pour a large amount of baby oil directly onto the furniture.
Now lightly glide the cloth across the wood. You are not trying to soak the furniture in oil. You are simply leaving behind a very thin coating as you move across the surface.
Keep working your way over the furniture with a light touch. If you notice an oily area, use a clean, dry section of the cloth to buff away the excess.
Once you are finished, give the entire piece another gentle buff with a dry cloth. You may be surprised by the difference that such a small amount can make. Older, dull-looking wood can suddenly have a much richer and more polished appearance.
Can I Use Dawn to Clean Wooden Furniture?
Yes, yes, yes! Dawn dish soap is one of my favorite products for cleaning dirty wooden furniture. It can help remove greasy buildup, fingerprints, sticky residue, and other gunk that may have collected on your wooden pieces over the years. The trick is to use only a small amount of Dawn and avoid getting the wood too wet.
Instructions:
Start by dusting the furniture properly to remove loose dirt and debris. Add about ¼ teaspoon of Dawn dish soap to 2 cups of warm tap water in a spray bottle and shake gently to mix.
Lightly mist your cleaning cloth rather than soaking the wood, then gently wipe and glide the cloth over the furniture—there is no need to scrub.
Once the dirt and stickiness are gone, wipe the surface again with a clean, damp cloth to remove any soap residue. Pat the wood dry with an absorbent cloth and allow it to air-dry completely.
Once dry, you can polish it using one of the DIY wood furniture polishes above, and your old wooden furniture will be looking amazing again.
How to Use Murphy’s Oil Soap to Clean Wooden Furniture
Murphy’s Oil Soap is another great option for cleaning old wooden furniture, especially when you are dealing with dirt, fingerprints, and everyday grime. Before you begin, dust the furniture properly to remove any loose dirt and debris.
Instructions:
Mix ¼ cup of Murphy’s Oil Soap with 1 gallon of warm water, following the label directions for general cleaning. Dip a soft, clean cloth into the mixture and wring it out very well—the cloth should be damp, not soaking wet.
Gently wipe the furniture in the direction of the wood grain, paying a little extra attention to dirty or sticky areas without scrubbing too hard. Once the furniture is clean, go over it with a separate clean, damp cloth if needed to remove any leftover residue, then dry it thoroughly with an absorbent cloth.
Allow the wood to finish air-drying before applying any polish. As always, test the mixture on a small hidden area first, especially when cleaning older furniture with an unknown finish.
A Few Things to Remember Before Cleaning Old Wood
Old wooden furniture is not all finished the same way. A cleaning trick that works beautifully on one table may not be right for another. Always test anything you plan to use on a small, hidden spot first.
Be especially careful with valuable antiques, unfinished wood, veneer, cracked or peeling finishes, painted furniture, or pieces where you do not know what type of finish was originally used. Those may need special care.
And when it comes to water, oil, vinegar, shoe polish, or any other homemade furniture-cleaning method, more is not better. Start with a small amount. You can always add a little more if you need it.
Final Thoughts
These are some of my favorite ways to clean old wood furniture, and some of them remind me of the simple cleaning tricks I saw being used years ago. You do not always have to give up on an old wooden table, chair, dresser, or cabinet simply because it has lost its shine.
Sometimes, a good cleaning and a little polishing are all it needs to start looking beautiful again.
I hope these tips will help you bring some life back into your old wooden pieces and make them stand out in your home again.
Thanks for stopping by, and happy cleaning!