To clean wooden furniture without damaging or soaking it, all you need is a homemade trick and a few recommendations For every household cleaning problem, there is a homemade trick. When you do a general cleaning of your home, you probably overlook one of the most important pieces of furniture or elements: the doors. Cleaning wooden doors is quite simple, you just need to take a few things into account. The first and most important thing is to know whether the wooden door has a wax, paint or varnish finish or whether it is untreated wood. Varnished wood requires a different type of cleaning and treatment.
Wood is a very delicate and natural material that requires certain treatments. Normally, wooden furniture in the home is made from durable and easy-to-shape materials such as oak, walnut and pine. However, today there are many materials similar to wood that imitate it perfectly, made from mixtures of recycled plastics and wood scraps. They are usually more environmentally friendly and much easier to clean.
Step by step: a home remedy for cleaning wooden doors and leaving them spotless
Moisture, dust, and grease are the worst enemies of house doors. To clean natural wood, varnished wood, and lacquered wood doors, you can use a home remedy that is quite simple.
- To start with this home remedy, remove the dust using a duster or a small broom.
- Clean the most visible dirt with a little warm water and washing-up liquid. Do not wet the wood too much.
- Remove handprints and grease stains with a mixture of water, vinegar and olive oil.
- Dry the wood with a very soft, dry cloth, patting or pressing to absorb the moisture.
A home remedy and something else: which products should never be used to clean wood
There are many cleaning products and items that can be harmful to wood, especially untreated natural wood. For example, steel wool pads and sharp graters can damage wood.
Some powdered cleaning products can scratch and wear down the wood. Similarly, cleaning wooden furniture with ammonia, bleach, alcohol and chlorine can be very harmful and cause irreversible damage.
Avoid abrasive products when cleaning wood and protect it from excess moisture.
Cleaning vinegar can be used to clean wood, but always diluted. Pure vinegar is ultra-acidic and can gradually damage the wood.
You should also avoid using very wet cloths to clean the wood, as excess water and lack of proper drying can penetrate the material, cause mould and, in the worst case, rot and breakage.
Great care must be taken when applying waxes, oils, or silicone products to polish wood. Some home remedies can leave the wood sticky.