How to Dust, Clean and Repair Wood Furniture

Your wood furniture can become heirlooms with proper care.

Hardwood furniture is a family heirloom or a fine piece. Whatever the worth of your furniture, keep it looking its best by learning the proper way to dust and clean it, and how to repair damage to the surface of the wood or the finish. With proper care, wood furniture can last through many generations.

Things You'll Need

• Dust cloth
• Commercial dust aid
• Wood polish
• Wood polish with stain
• Wax sticks
• Wool cloth
• Iron

Instructions

Dusting

1. Sprinkle a small amount of water on a soft, absorbent cloth and use this for dusting your wood furniture. Dusting with a dry cloth may cause scratching. The cloth should be just wet enough to attract the dust but not enough to wet the wood. Commercial aerosol dusting aids are another option. Spray these on the cloth and use the cloth to dust the furniture.

2. Dust using small oval motions, following the grain of the wood. Fold your cloth and respray with water or dust aid as soon as you notice visible dust on the cloth.

3. Lift items off of the furniture to dust under them, rather than sliding them across the wood. Sliding may cause dust particles trapped under lamps and other items to scratch the wood surface or finish.

Cleaning

1. Clean sticky spots from wood furniture by dipping a cloth in warm soapy water, wringing it almost dry and wiping the sticky area only. Dry as soon as possible. It is not necessary or desirable to wash entire pieces of wood furniture regularly with water.

2. Mix equal parts olive oil, denatured alcohol, gum turpentine and strained lemon juice. Dip a soft cloth in this mixture and rub into wood. This will revive and clean dirty furniture better than water, and will protect the wood surface as well. Buff the polished wood with a dry towel to remove excess product.

3. Use an abrasive wood cleaner on fine steel wool to remove build up on wax, polish or dirt from wood furniture. Clean small areas at a time, using only enough pressure to work through the grime without damaging the wood. Apply polish and buff the furniture after it is cleaned.

Repair

1. Repair small scratches in wood furniture surface by polishing with a stain-filled polish, available at most home stores and discount stores. Rub the polish in with a cloth and buff away with a clean, dry cloth.

2. Use a wax patching stick to repair deeper scratches. These are available at home stores. Choose one that matches the finish. Melt the wax so that it drips into the scratch and fills it. Heat a spatula blade and smooth the wax, pressing it into the scratch as you go. Run a razor blade over the scratch if necessary to remove excess wax. Coat with shellac if the repaired area will receive wear.

3. Steam away gouges and indented areas on stripped or raw wood furniture. Cover the area with a damp piece of wool cloth. Hold a hot iron over the cloth until the wood fibers swell and the indented area is filled in. Remove the cloth and allow the wood to completely dry before refinishing the piece of furniture. For finished wood, puncture the damaged place with a pin to allow steam to reach the wood fibers.

References

• Utah State University: Cleaning, Repairing and Reconditioning Wood Furniture; Carol Williams
• Chadima Furniture: Taking Care of Wood and Wooden Furniture
• Hardwood Info: Cleaning and Caring for Solid Hardwood Furniture