How to Make Lemon Furniture Polish

Fresh lemon juice cleans and polishes furniture.

Furniture polish cleans wood and adds shine. Commercial products, however, often have strong odors and can damage the surface of furniture. In some cases, such as on antique furniture, using the wrong polish causes damage that decreases the value of the furniture. Making your own lemon furniture polish gives you a cheap, safe and eco-friendly way to keep your furniture looking its best without causing damage. It also adds a fresh scent to your home without any chemical fumes.

Things You'll Need

• Lemon
• Glass bowl
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. water

Instructions

1. Squeeze the juice from one lemon. If you don't have fresh lemon, you can use 4 tbsp. of lemon juice. Pour the juice into a glass bowl.

2. Measure 1 tsp. olive oil into the bowl. Olive oil provides a protective finish and shine to the furniture.

3. Add 1 tsp. white vinegar to the lemon and oil. The vinegar will disinfect and remove residue. If you do not have any vinegar, you can use water instead.

4. Stir the mixture thoroughly. Use the lemon furniture polish immediately and make more as needed.

Tips & Warnings

• Apply polish in thin layers using small, circular motions and a soft cloth.

• Buff the wood after the polish has dried with a clean, soft cloth.

• For a storable polish you can make ahead of time, mix 4 cups mineral oil with 1 tbsp. lemon extract in a jar.

• Do not use an oil-based polish on wood that doesn't have an oil finish. Use vinegar and lemon juice instead.

References

• The Lung Center: Low-Fume Home Cleaners
• Purdue University Extension: Green Cleaning
• Utah State University Extension; Cleaning, Repairing and Reconditioning Wood Furniture; Carol Williams; August 2000