BROWSE HOW TOs

How to Clean a Wooden Table

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Cleaning wood tables reveals the beauty of the wood and protects the surface from day-to-day use. Select products made for cleaning wood, rather than multi-purpose products, for the best results. Make sure that the products you choose are alcohol-free to protect the finish.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step1

Choose a wood soap that's oil-based to thoroughly clean the table. If your wood tables have been stored for any length of time, you may need to wash it with an oil-based cleanser several times to remove the accumulated grime.

Step2

Scrub the wood oil soap with a cotton cloth like a cloth diaper.

Step3

Fill any dents or scratches using shoe polish that's similar in color to the finish on your wood tables.

Step4

Polish your wood tables frequently with a polish made from lemon oil. For most wood tables, you can polish weekly; for tables that see high use, like dining tables and coffee tables, you'll need to polish more often.

Step5

Hire a professional to buff and polish your wood tables annually.

Tips & Warnings

Make your own wood soap by diluting hand soap with water.
Create your own furniture polish by mixing 3 parts olive oil to 1 part lemon oil. Apply an even coat to your wood tables.
Don't use any products that contain alcohol or ammonia on your wood furniture. Both ingredients will damage the wood and the finish, shortening the life of your wood pieces.