If your furniture has a lot of exposed wood, you undoubtedly will take precautions to protect and maintain it. Maybe you've noticed that after you've applied your favorite brand of furniture polish to the surface, that a thin layer of dust appears within a day or so. Why does this happen? Does the polish itself attract dust? We consumed information about polishing furniture from a variety of sources so that we can help answer this question.
If the furniture polish you are using is an oil-based liquid polish, then it will allow settling dust in the room to stick to the surface. Other types of furniture polish, and other polishing methods, will reduce the amount of dust that builds up on your furniture's wooden surfaces.
Now that we know that some types of furniture polish attract dust, we'll go into more detail about the best ways to dust and polish furniture. You might also be wondering if it's best to polish furniture before or after vacuuming or if it's ok to use coconut oil on wooden surfaces. To see what our findings show on these and other questions, read ahead in this post.
What is the best thing to dust furniture with?
If you research the best methods to dust your furniture, you'll turn up a variety of methods that use different types of polishing cloths. Which ones work the best?
While you might be tempted to use a standard feather duster, you should know that this method is rated the lowest among cleaning experts for a thorough dusting. Feather dusters have the advantage of being able to dust inside tight spaces and are acceptable for dusting in-between deep cleaning. However, dust accumulated over time is too much for just a feather duster to remove totally.
For a good dusting, experts recommend that you use a lightly dampened microfiber cloth. This method will remove a lot more surface dust that a feather duster would leave behind. It's suggested that you deep clean using this method and do light dusting weekly with a feather duster.
To see this brand of microfiber cloth on Amazon, click here.
Is it better to dust before or after vacuuming?
We all have our cleaning routines, many of which involve us doing certain things in an order that makes sense to us as individuals. We follow these out of pure habit, sometimes forgetting why we got into the habit of doing things a certain way, to begin with. Sometimes, it's a good thing to question our order of operation, to ensure that what we're doing is effective. That being said, when you're cleaning the house are you dusting or vacuuming first?
To get the right answer to this question, we made sure to learn a little bit about how the dust settles. The smaller particles of dust that you remove from your furniture, shelving, and other household items will not all be captured by your dust rag or microfiber cloth. These dust particles are very small and will take some time before settling on the floor.
To remove as much dust as possible when you clean, it's best to dust thoroughly first. Then go about other cleaning chores while you wait a bit for the missed dust particles to settle on your carpet and flooring. Then it would be best if you began to vacuum.
Dusting after you vacuum will allow for dust to settle on your carpets, making them in need of a good vacuuming almost immediately after you've completed this chore.
What is the best way to polish furniture?
Regularly polishing wooden surfaces not only makes them shine it also adds protective layers to the wood itself. What is the best way to get the job done?
Spray on polish
First, you want to totally clear the surface of any obstructions. Remove any throw pillows and cushions, if you're able to. Furniture polish contains chemicals that might discolor or otherwise damage them.
Then you will want to apply the furniture polish directly onto a soft cloth. Avoid spraying the polish directly onto the wood. Gently rub the polish into the wood, being careful to always rub with the grains of the wood. You should notice an immediate difference in the appearance of the wood after the polish is applied.
Aside from using commercial furniture polish, you might consider making an organic polish on your own. Using a combination of distilled white vinegar and olive oil in a clean spray bottle works well. You might be wondering if you can also use coconut oil as your base. We'll discuss that later in this post.
No matter what you are using, you can get an extra shine if you wait until the wooden surface is dried and then repeat the process. Making this a regular part of your cleaning routine will leave your wooden surfaces glowing and protected from minor scratches and abrasions.
Paste wax
An alternative to spraying on furniture polish is to use paste wax. While this method requires a lot more elbow grease, it will have to be done less often and is better at protecting your wooden surfaces.
The best way to use paste wax will require a good dusting of the furniture first. Then, apply the paste wax to the center of a clean cloth. Rub the cloth in a circular fashion all over the wood. Paste wax is the preferred type of polish for antique furniture, as it gives the best form of protection.
To see this brand of paste wax on Amazon, click here.
Can coconut oil be used to polish furniture?
If you're averse to using chemical-based products, you might be wondering if there are natural ways to make your own furniture polish. Maybe you've heard that coconut oil is an acceptable base for such a concoction and are curious if it really works.
Fortunately, coconut oil has been proven to be an effective substance to both polish and protect your home's wooden surfaces. The oil gently seeps into the wood grains and gives a layer of protection to the wood itself, all the while leaving it with a bit of a glow.
To make an all-natural furniture polish with coconut oil, you'll need:
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup of virgin coconut oil
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 10 drops of lavender essential oil
Combine all of these ingredients into a clean spray bottle and shake it until all of them are properly mixed. Use with a microfiber cloth, and allow to air dry.
To see this brand of coconut oil on Amazon, click here.
To see this brand of spray bottle on Amazon, click here.
How do you use Pledge furniture polish?
If you are using Pledge brand furniture polish, you'll be satisfied with how easy it is to use. Simply apply the Pledge directly onto a clean cotton cloth and gently rub it onto the wood. Always go with the wood's grain. For a deeper polish, repeat this a second time as soon as the Pledge has completely dried on the wood.
To view Pledge brand furniture polish on Amazon, click here.
In Closing
Furniture polish is a great way to protect your home's wooden surfaces from scratches while at the same time making them shine. If the polish that you're using is an oil-based liquid, it will attract dust particles. These particles become stuck to the layer of polish that has been applied.
The best deep cleaning dusting methods use dampened microfiber cloths. While feather dusters are good for light dusting, they will fail to remove layers of built-up dust on wooden surfaces.
When it comes to polishing furniture, we always apply the polish to the cloth directly and rub it with the wood's grain. This method is best, even when using Pledge brand furniture polish. Lastly, we learned that coconut oil is a great base ingredient for an all-natural furniture polish that you can easily make at home. This method uses a completely non-toxic polish that is safe for homes with small children.
If you found this post on furniture polish to be helpful, we believe you'll enjoy reading the following posts about household furniture:
How To Whiten Yellowed Leather Sofa [7 Steps]