How to Clean Antique Furniture Wood Finish

Antique furniture adds a vintage ambiance to your home.

Many people collect antique furniture, some receive it as an heirloom from a beloved relative and others find a unique piece and decide it is perfect for their home. Regardless of how you obtained your antique furniture, cleaning the finish properly is vital to how it looks in your home. Regular maintenance ensures that the wood finish maintains its shiny luster for future generations. Cleaning wood finishes requires only a few household supplies and a bit of elbow grease.

Things You'll Need

• Feather duster or other dusting tool
• Bucket
• Rubber gloves
• Measuring spoons
• 2 tbsp. gum turpentine
• 4 tbsp. boiled linseed oil
• Soft, lint-free cleaning cloths
• Lemon oil furniture polish or a surface wax (optional)
• Sweet oil and apple cider vinegar (optional)
• Clean, plastic spray bottle (optional)

Instructions

1. Turn on the faucet until the water is very hot and add 1 gallon to a bucket.

2. Slip on your rubber gloves; they protect your hands from the hot water.

3. Measure the gum turpentine and boiled linseed oil with measuring spoons. Add each ingredient to the hot water.

4. Mix the solution with your gloved hands.

5. Immerse a cleaning cloth into the bucket and wring it out with your gloved hands.

6. Wash the antique wood furniture with the wet -- but not dripping -- cloth. Pay close attention to carvings and ornate details in the wood finish.

7. Dry and buff the antique wood finish with another dry, lint-free cloth.

8. Polish the antique wood finish with lemon oil furniture polish or your favorite surface wax, if desired.

Tips & Warnings

• Gum turpentine and boiled linseed oil are available at discount, home supply and hardware stores. The turpentine and hot water gets rid of soil, stains and grimy residue on the wood furniture. The boiled linseed oil restores the moisture and shine to the wood finish.

• Make inexpensive -- yet effective -- homemade furniture polish by combining 2 parts of sweet oil and 1 part apple cider vinegar. Put the mixture into a clean, plastic spray bottle, shake well and use as you would any commercial furniture polish. You can buy sweet oil at pharmacies and health food stores.

References

• Utah State University: Cleaning, Repairing and Reconditioning Wood Furniture
• Heloise: Heloise Hints