Antibacterial wipes can damage wooden surfaces; there are no two ways to say it. “Any kind of wood flooring or furniture you own should not be cleaned with antibacterial wipes,” explains licensed health coach Jamie Bacharach. This is because the porous wood can absorb the liquid from the wipes, damaging it.
When you're doing a DIY woodworking project, it's a good idea to start with a fresh, clean surface. But whatever you do, if you're working with untreated wood, don't use a Clorox wipe to clear off dust and dirt. Because untreated or unpainted wood is porous, disinfectant wipes can leave it with a big, ugly stain.
A mixture of 1 part Chlorine Bleach, (Clorox) to 32 parts water (½ cup bleach per gallon of water, or 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water) will need to sit on surfaces for 5-10 minutes in order to disinfect them. We found this did not harm either of our wood finishes.
You can clean polished wood or non-porous hardwood floors with Lysol® . If you're just looking to – you can use Lysol® All-Purpose Cleaner to clean and disinfect your floor surface without causing damage to the wood.
Rubbing alcohol and finished wood don't mix well. A rubbing alcohol spill on your wood furniture can be disastrous, as they are often permanent stains. That's why taking care of the stain promptly and properly is critical. Fixing a rubbing alcohol stain on a tabletop is possible, but you'll need to do it quickly.
Rubbing alcohol can help remove sticky gunk and also acts as a disinfectant—a big reason why we have it in our medicine cabinet. It is cheap, effective, and multi-purpose, making it very attractive to use. But whatever you do, never use it on your wood furniture.
Fill a spray bottle with 2 cups water, 1 cup white vinegar and about five drops dish soap if the wood is soiled. The vinegar disinfects and the dish soap works as an added cleaning element.
To sanitize a cutting board, either plastic or wood, use a dilute chlorine bleach solution (1 tablespoon per gallon of cool water). Be sure to rinse it well with warm water.
Sanitisers that contain abrasives, ammonia, bleach, spirit or other aggressive chemicals will all corrode the lacquer and so ruin the table top.
Mix a tablespoon of vinegar into a spray bottle containing a few ounces of water, then squirt the solution onto the affected area, wiping away with a damp cloth. Wipe the cleaned area with a dry cloth afterward to keep the moisture from soaking into the wood.
Learn how to clean wood furniture and how to disinfect wood furniture with Pine-Sol multi-surface disinfectant. Mix ¼ cup of Pine-Sol® for each gallon of water. Dampen a soft sponge, cloth or mop with the mixture to wipe down the surface. Scrub stubborn spots with a gentle scrub brush or mop.
A simple solution of half a cup of distilled white vinegar, half a cup of warm water and a teaspoon of mild dish detergent like Dawn will also do the trick. Be sure to test the mixture first in a hidden area of the wood to make sure it does not damage the finish.
Easiest Wood Cleaner
For an effective alternative to wood cleaners and polishes that takes about 3 seconds, use baby wipes to whip your wood furniture and paneling into shape. Perfect for when company is on the way and you realize you haven't dusted!
Clorox can absolutely be used to clean and disinfect hardwood floors. There are a range of Clorox products that can be used for wiping down hardwood floors. Clorox disinfecting wet mopping cloths can be used with a Swiffer mop or similar cloth mop.
Floor Cleaning Tips
For small spills, try Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes. They even work on wood floors! For a deeper clean, vacuum or sweep the floor before mopping to remove the excess dirt, crumbs and other floor-dwelling particles.
Plastic cutting board: After cleaning off all food debris, soak the cutting board in a solution using 2 teaspoons of Clorox® Regular-Bleach per gallon of water. Let stand 2 minutes, then air dry.
Scrub the wood down using soapy water or a combination of detergent, bleach, and water to clean the wood. Always remember to protect yourself with proper safety equipment from the fumes of the cleaner and any mold spores. If the wood isn't cleaned the first time, don't be afraid to restart the process.
A solution of warm water, vinegar and about five drops of dish soap can clean and disinfect the furniture if soiled. Remove dust and protect using a soft cloth and non-abrasive furniture polish. Avoid polish build-up by applying furniture polish sparingly to a soft cloth and gently wiping wood surfaces.
Lysol disinfecting wipes are specially formulated to be safe on most finished wood surfaces such as cabinets, tables, and floors. However, they aren't recommended for untreated, unpainted, or unfinished porous wood surfaces. It's always best to do a quick spot test before applying wipes to your wood furniture.
If it is real wood, you can use Lysol spray to disinfect its surface — but only occasionally. You may also use a diluted form of Lysol to clean its surface — but that again only occasionally. These instances of water coming in contact with the wood should be minimal.
Isopropyl alcohol is not strong enough to remove finishes effectively from wooden surfaces, but it is useful in the refinishing process as it will clean residue from the bare wood. To use it, mix one part isopropyl alcohol with one part water. Rub the solution over stains on the wood until they are gone.
The white stains that appear on wood after alcohol touches it are actually damage to the sealant on the wood, not to the wood itself. However, this problem may not require refinishing the wood.
Since hand sanitizer is a clear liquid cleaner it doesn't pose dye stain problems. But the alcohol in the cleanser that helps to kill germs can damage the finish on a wood surface. When removed quickly, the damage caused by hand sanitizer can be kept to a minimum.