Old wooden chairs will never go out of style, and so if you are looking to give your existing furniture a good clean down or if you want to restore a beautiful old chair you just bought at an antique store, you need to know how to do so properly.
You just need the right supplies, technique and a good finishing coat to do so.
To clean wood, you need to avoid harsh chemicals, you should avoid anything that uses intense sudsing agents such as sulfates, although safer alternatives may not lather, you do not actually need to lather at all to get a good clean.
Using an oil-based cleaner is one of the easier ways to do the job. Some water-based products can be too strong while oil-based ones cleanse the wood while infusing it with a conditioning treatment.
To avoid snagging any loose strips of wood, or leaving any lint behind, you should use a lint-free rag to do the job, these will allow you to clean the wood thoroughly.
Start off with a light dusting, then apply your cleaner to your rag and swipe the wood in long strokes. Wipe up any remaining cleanser. Finally, seal your work, leaving the chair to air dry and then condition it with wood butter.
Do not forget to perform regular maintenance on your chair to keep it looking spectacular, give it a resealing with some wood butter every two months or so.
How do you clean old oak dining chairs?
When you are looking to clean any old or antique oak furniture you must be very careful. In fact, with oak, the same principles apply whether your oak furniture is new or old. Damp cloths are generally a good shout.
Then once you have wiped down the furniture you need to ensure that you dry it off with a soft cloth, then apply a thin layer of wax or oil and buff it with a soft cloth to give it the best finish.
Another way to clean oak furniture is with vinegar, using a mixture of vinegar and olive oil, this way is a relatively traditional take on cleaning oak furniture. You want to use one part vinegar and two parts olive oil, and then if you can apply it sparingly using a spray bottle.
Use a soft, clean cloth to rub it gently into the surface. Olive oil will moisturize the surface while the vinegar has subtle cleaning properties. This is a very environmentally friendly way to clean your oak furniture.
You also avoid having to use any toxic cleaning product that may harm the environment, or even shorten the lifespan of your beautiful oak furniture. There are many other methods you can use as well, however, these are the best.
Just remember to stay away from any potentially abrasive products.
How do you deep clean a wooden chair?
When you are faced with cleaning anything wooden, you may feel a spec of dread, it always seems so complicated as wood can be a very picky material. It is not as easy to clean as metals, or even some fabrics, and it is not a fan of over-saturation in water.
However, if you want to deep clean your wooden furniture then you can still do it. It just takes a few steps.
First of all we would recommend giving it a gentle vacuuming, no need to directly touch the chair with the vacuum, just try to take off any dirt or debris that has gathered, so there are no chances of you scratching the surface.
You could even use a dry cloth to wipe it down if you don’t trust your vacuum around your wooden chair.
Use a gentle microfiber cloth to give it a wipe down, this cloth should be barely damp, and once you are done immediately dry it with another microfiber cloth. You do not want any water sitting on the wood.
If you have any sticky or unpleasant residues then you should wipe it down with a drop of dish soap on your microfiber cloth, you should, however, test this on an unnoticeable area of the chair to ensure it does not remove the finish.
When you do this, mix it with some water ensuring that the cloth is not too wet and work it on the area you wish. Avoid soaking the wood with the water, and then dry again.
You should also apply a wax to protect it once you have deep cleaned it so that it will keep its brilliance. You can use wood butter, or a wax paste. Let it sit for a while and then buff it in with a microfiber cloth.
How do you polish an old wooden chair?
If you have an old antique wooden chair then you will want it to stay brilliant and beautiful, this means polishing and plenty of care.
But, surely there is a difference in care from the polish you would use on your regular tables, to what you would use on an antique wood? Of course, while you can use a regular spray polish, it is better to use something with a bit more oomph.
Waxing with a good quality polish that is based on beeswax will bring out the color and the gain of the wood, and it also provides your chair with plenty of protection. You should put a small amount of polish on a soft microfiber cloth and rub the piece until the wax on the cloth shines.
This burnishes the surface and evaporates any solvent. You should then polish with a clean duster and if you can, apply this wax in the night so that it can nourish the wood overnight, and then polish it the following day.
The wood may be dry, if it is then the wax will soak in fast, and you should apply more until a good patina has been developed.
What to use to clean wooden chairs?
Throughout the year your wooden furniture should not need much more than a wipe down and polish once a week.
However, about twice a year you should give it a thorough cleaning, using dish detergent, warm water, white vinegar, at least 2 microfiber cloths, and maybe even some olive oil.
You can use one of many mixtures to clean your chair, you can use warm water and dish soap. For a gentler clean you could use white vinegar and warm water at a ratio of one cup water to three tablespoons of vinegar.
Or you could use a mixture of olive oil and vinegar for even more gentle a clean at a ratio of one part vinegar to two parts olive oil. The latter is best for oak chairs. Be sure to wipe off any dust and debris with a damp cloth and then dry immediately.
Then wipe down with your cleaning mixture, buffing the mixture over the wood, and then dry immediately again. If you have stubborn marks, do not scrub, use a sponge or any abrasive cleaning products as these will scratch the surface.
Finish up by applying a polish, or a wax, you can even use wood butter to reseal your wood.
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