A gentle, water-based solution such as Murphy® Oil Soap Original works well when cleaning and protecting the finish on your wood floors, furniture and cabinets. The soap doesn't need to be rinsed and doesn't leave any residue.
You should absolutely NOT use Murphy's Oil Soap to clean your wood floors!
The key to realizing Murphy® Oil Soap safety, in items like Original Formula, is to understand it is a concentrate that has to be diluted with warm water. The recommended dilution is 1/4 cup per gallon of water, but shoot for 1/2 cup per gallon of water for heavier cleanings or sturdier woods like oak or rosewood.
MULTIPURPOSE CLEANER
Better Homes And Gardens recommends using Murphy® Oil Soap on outdoor furniture to freshen up plastic, metal, glass or wood items. You can also use it on other Furniture, such as your wood dining table and chairs, end tables, nightstands and bed frames.
How do you clean sticky wood cabinets? The sticky residue you feel is the grease particles that float in the air while cooking and then attach to the cabinets. I use Murphy's Oil Soap and a little water. Be careful not to rub too hard or you'll rub off the finish.
Murphy® Oil Soap gets deep into grime to break up dirt particles and it's safe to use on wood products like cabinets. Next, gather another cloth or sponge. You may also want to use an old toothbrush to get into crevices.
If you're dusting or cleaning your table, in additional to other wood furniture or knickknacks, a multipurpose solution like Murphy® Oil Soap Orange Oil Cleaner can do the trick. Real Simple recommends spraying or applying your product onto a dusting cloth instead of the surface itself.
Start with a mixture of a safe, Natural Product Like Murphy® Oil Soap and hot water. Use a soft cloth and work your way over the surfaces of your shelves, chairs and desks, and notice if the wood is becoming cleaner. Even though oak is fairly strong, don't let it get too wet during this cleaning process.
Linseed oil is a traditional choice for nourishing and protecting wood. It comes in many forms and is obtained from the seed of the linseed-flax plant. Given its ease of use and cheap price, it is one of the most popular finishing oils in the world.
1. Murphy Original Formula Oil Soap. This classic wood cleaner takes care of your wooden furniture, floors, cabinets, tile, and linoleum. In fact, we've also included it on our list of best wood floor cleaners.
The company continued to be run by the Murphy family for 80 years, when they sold it to Colgate. It is available in a concentrated liquid form which is then mixed with water, as well as pre-diluted form which comes in a trigger spray bottle.
Murphy Oil Soap is a good brand of liquid oil soap that can be used for stain removal. If the stain is old or very difficult, try applying the liquid oil soap and allow the garment to set for up to thirty minutes before washing it according to the above directions.
Cleaning Solid Oak Furniture
For regular dusting, a quick wipe-down with a microfiber cloth will do the trick. If your wood furniture has any spots with sticky residue, add a drop of dish soap to a microfiber cloth and test a tiny, out-of-sight section of the furniture to make sure the finish doesn't get removed.
Use a microfiber cloth, feather duster, or electrostatic duster like Swiffer to remove dust. If you are sensitive to dust, wear a dust mask and consider using a damp cloth for dusting instead of a duster. After dusting, use a soft cotton cloth to buff the surfaces, remove smudges, and create shine.
Water (with a pH of 7) and dish soap (with a pH between 7 and 8) are always good options. The best cleaner, the one that is less likely to do damage to the wood is good old-fashioned elbow grease. Applied with a damp cloth, elbow grease should be effective at removing dirt and dust and even oil and grease build-up.
Using the incorrect chemicals on your unfinished flooring has a high risk of causing permanent discoloration. It is inadvisable to use chemical-based cleaners on your unfinished hardwood floors. Floor cleaners will harm your flooring irreversibly. Murphy's Oil Soap is a good option for one cleaner you may use.
Note: For wood surfaces, remove excess liquid with a soft dry cloth. Murphy's cleans away wax build-up, so if you like, re-apply wax after use. If the finish appears weak or worn, test first with plain water on an inconspicuous area.
Kitchen cabinets that have not adequately dried after cleaning can also become sticky. This is because cabinets are usually made of porous materials that absorb water and cleaning solutions. So, when water and cleaning solutions don't dry properly, they leave behind a sticky residue.
Mix a 50/50 solution of vinegar and warm water and pour it into a spray bottle. Mist on cabinets, let sit for a minute or two and then wipe clean with a soft cloth. Add a few drops of liquid dishwashing detergent to the vinegar and water solution to clean extremely grimy cabinets.