December 12, 2021 5 min read
Antique wooden furniture is beautiful and can add a lot of character to your home. But taking care of that furniture can be a little more challenging than taking care of more modern furniture. If you want to keep your antique wood furniture in the best possible condition, you’re in the right place.
In this article we’ll talk about the best way to clean antique wood furniture, and how you can identify what cleaning your wood furniture needs. There are a few steps to this process, but it’s not difficult once you know what to look for.
Let’s get started.
There are a few steps to cleaning antique wood furniture. Following these steps is important because there are a lot of different finishes antique wood furniture can have, and each finish might need slightly different care and cleaning.
The first step you need to do before you start is to determine the type of finish on your antique wood. Some products, even products designed to help you clean antique wood, are too harsh and can cause irreversible damage to the finish.
So, no matter what product you decide to use, the first step is to spot-treat a small spot in a less noticeable area. As long as there is no damage from the product in your spot test it’s probably safe to use.
But, if there is any discoloration or changes to the texture of the finish, that product isn’t a good match for the finish on your antique wood furniture.
Here is a simple test that will help you figure out what kind of finish you have on your antique wood furniture.
Get some denatured alcohol. Soak a cotton swab or Q-tip in the denatured alcohol and choose a small testing area on your furniture. This area should be out of sight most of the time since denatured alcohol may damage certain finishes.
If your finish dissolves in the denatured alcohol, that means you probably have a shellac finish. Shellac, unfortunately, is very hard to clean. However, you might be able to get an expert to remove your furniture’s finish and re-finish it with something that’s easier to care for.
That’s an extreme option, so let’s talk about how to clean most antique wood furniture finishes.
Here is the recommended way to clean antique wood furniture:
It’s important to clean with the grain of the wood in your furniture. Moving against the grain can streak or change the way the grain looks, which can affect the look of your furniture.
It’s also important to make sure you’re getting into all the details, especially in scrollwork and carved sections, so that the whole piece is thoroughly polished.
If you’re looking for a good oil soap for cleaning antique wood furniture, we’d recommend Murphy oil soap. Since this brand is 98% naturally derived, it's one of the gentlest and most effective oil soaps you can get, and it even smells good!
Mildew can be a tricky stain to clean on anything, but it’s especially tricky on antique wood furniture. Thankfully, this process makes it much easier and will effectively take care of all or most of the staining from mildew.
Here’s how you do it.
You may need to mix the oil and vinegar several times as you clean the furniture since it may separate while you work.
It's also worth experimenting with different oils to see which oil works best on your furniture, and how they affect the finished polish. While the differences are subtle, each oil can leave a slightly different sheen and color on your furniture.
Having soft cloths is especially important for cleaning antique furniture. You’ll need soft cloths for pretty much any cleaning for your antique wooden furniture, but it can be hard to know which options are best. Looking for facial cloths, like these bamboo facial washcloths, can help guarantee soft fabric that won’t harm your furniture’s finish.
Mineral spirits are one of the most effective cleaners you can get for antique wooden furniture, but you’ll need to know how to use them to clean your furniture effectively.
Here’s what you need to know.
After cleaning you may want to rehydrate the wood of your antique wooden furniture. That’s where mineral oils come in. This natural mineral oil for cutting boards and other wood furniture is an excellent option since it’s food-safe, effective, shelf-stable, and soaks completely into the wood within 4 hours. That way you don’t have to wait too long before you can start using your furniture again.
Cleaning your furniture might be the last step, but you can also add a wax coating to help better protect your furniture and help it last longer between cleanings. The wax acts as an extra layer of protection and helps keep everything looking good and also helps keep the wood at the same moisture level, which is important for preservation.
Waxing your antique furniture is relatively simple, but it can add additional steps to the care of your antique wooden furniture.
Here is a specialized furniture wax we highly recommend for use waxing your antique wooden furniture. This blend is designed to offer a lot of protection while being easy to apply. The wax is based on beeswax and leaves an attractive matte finish that highlights the natural luster of antique wood.
Plus, this wax is both baby-safe and food-safe, so you can use it even in homes with small children.
Once you've waxed the furniture piece, you'll need a soft cloth to buff it by moving along the wood grain in small circular motions. Buffing the wax helps rub it into the wood, providing better protection. It also helps remove excess wax, so you don’t have any getting on your clothing or smudging.
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