What cleaning products should I never use on wood furniture? Using any type of water or water based cleaner on wooden furniture is not recommended. When cleaning wood products, you should never use water,...
When cleaning wood products, you should never use water, harsh chemicals, or abrasive products. These can damage wood finishes in a number of ways. It is best to use a good quality furniture polish or a product such as Murphy Oil Soap when cleaning wood surfaces.
Melissa Briones, owner of Melissa's House Cleaning in Lawton, Oklahoma, says, "I would not use any water on wood. The minerals can raise the wood and loosen the wood. I would not use any type of upholstery cleaner. I would just use furniture polish or wood cleaner,nothing else."
Ammonia is a very harsh chemical, and it can be especially damaging to wood even if it is diluted in water. In fact, water can damage wood too. If water seeps into the finish, it can cause the wood to swell and crack. The damage this causes to the finish is serious enough, but the damage to the wood itself can make repairs difficult to impossible. If you are cleaning wood that is surrounding glass, such as with a curio cabinet or a glass inlaid table, be very careful that your glass cleaner does not come in contact with the wood. If you are able, you should remove the glass and clean it separately.
Most furniture today does not require waxing, so avoid this if possible. Waxes simply cause unsightly buildup on furniture and do nothing to clean the wood.
As with most cleaners, you do not want to mix them together. Stick with one product. Mixing two different products can cause reactions that can damage your furniture. It can also create toxic fumes that can cause serious illness or even death. Follow the directions as listed on the container and heed all warnings.
The best way to protect your wood furniture is to dust it regularly. This will decrease the number of times you will need to polish it. A quick pass with a dust cloth once a week can prevent the need for a much more intense cleaning in the future.
Abrasives materials should not come in contact with your furniture. This goes for abrasive cleansers as well as abrasive cloths or sponges. Another way abrasives can damage the finish on your wood furniture is by waiting too long before dusting. If there is a lot of dirt or grit on your furniture, you may want to first vacuum it off using the soft brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner. Desks, especially, can accumulate a lot of damaging grit. A stray staple or the broken point from a lead pencil can ruin a desktop if it gets trapped in your dust cloth as you polish. Be sure to gently remove all loose particles such as this before proceeding to clean your furniture.
You can further protect your furniture by using placemats and coasters when serving food or drinks on your wood furniture. Trivets should be used when placing heated items on your wood table. Use placemats underneath plants also so that water will not leak onto the furniture. Decorations, bookends, statuettes, and other things that you may have on your wood furniture should have felt or cork underneath.
Fine wood furniture is an investment not only in terms of money but also in terms of the time needed to maintain it. It is worth taking the time to treat your furniture properly, however, because of the beauty it brings to your surroundings.
