Furniture can become dull-looking if not given the proper care.
Furniture becomes grimy, scratched or stained with frequent use. It may suffer from years of neglect, thus making it necessary to renovate the piece before placing it in your home. You do not have to purchase expensive furniture refinishing kits in order to restore the shine or to repair scratches and stains in the wood. Caring for your furniture correctly ensures that the piece looks attractive in your home for many years.
Instructions
Cleaning Furniture
1. Dust your wood furniture with a dusting tool.
2. Moisten a cloth with the mineral spirits.
3. Rub the cloth over the entire wood surface of the old furniture. The mineral spirits effectively cleans grime, oil, wax buildup and stains in the wood. There is no need to rinse the mineral spirits.
Scratch Repair
4. Crack a fresh walnut or Brazil nut with a nutcracker.
5. Remove the meat from the nut.
6. Rub the Brazil or walnut meat onto the scratch on your wood furniture, rubbing along the grain of the wood. The oils in the nut will darken the scratched area.
7. Buff the area with a soft cloth to remove any residue. Repeat the method until the scratch blends in with the rest of the wood.
Homemade Furniture Polish
8. Mix 1 qt. of mineral oil and 2 tbsp. beeswax or carnauba wax into a double boiler on your stove and turn the heat on medium.
9. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon once the wax starts to melt. Continue heating until all the wax melts. Stir the mixture again.
10. Allow the mixture to cool and then pour it into plastic or glass bottles. Use the homemade polish as you would any commercial furniture polish.
Tags: mineral spirits, your wood furniture, stains wood, Stir mixture, wood furniture