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.
A quick wipe down with a damp microfiber towel and a drop of dish soap, or even a scrub down with Clean-A-Finish for the worst pieces, will ensure that you are enhancing the brightest, cleanest version of your wood finish possible. Just clean, dry, then buff in a little polish to shine!
Wipe wood furniture with a barely damp microfiber cloth to remove dust and grime. (Use a cotton cloth to avoid damaging the wood.) Quickly wipe it dry with another microfiber cloth. Don't let water sit on wood since it can warp the surface.
Murphy Oil Soap Original Wood Cleaner
Murphy's Oil Soap is a time-tested wood cleaner that's been around for generations, and because it's concentrated, it will last a long time, making it a great value. In our tests, this wood cleaner did a great job erasing scuff marks with just a few swipes.
CLEANING PRODUCTS FOR WOOD FURNITURE
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.
If you have a bottle of Murphy's Oil Soap under your kitchen sink or in your laundry room that you use to clean your hardwood floors, go get it and throw it in the garbage. Seriously, stop using it today. You can use it for other projects like furniture or cabinets but NEVER for wood floors.
For heavy cleaning, dilute 1/2 cup Murphy per gallon. Clean well with wrung-out mop, and mop any excess water. No visible residue, no rinsing required.
Wood should never be cleaned with harsh chemicals. Even commercial multipurpose cleaners are too strong. There are commercial wood cleaners on the market, but they are not created equal. For instance, products that claim to “condition” your wood can leave a waxy residue that can attract dirt and are best avoided.
DIY Wooden Floor Cleaners With Vinegar
And it works for floors too! For this recipe: Combine ½ cup of white vinegar and 1 gallon of water in a small bucket. Add a few drops of lemon or orange essential oil to the solution if you want a scented cleaner.
Step One: Wearing the gloves, pour a minimal amount of denatured alcohol into a metal bowl or disposable cup. It only takes an ounce at most. Now, dip the cotton swab into the denatured alcohol, letting the fibers soak in the liquid a bit. Step Two: Rub the cotton swab over a small area of the antique furniture piece.
Mix water and dish soap in a bucket and use this solution to sponge down the entire piece of furniture. Do not soak the wood; this is a common mistake. Instead, brush the sponge lightly over the surface and don't let the liquid linger for long. Dry thoroughly.
Polish/Wax — while we warned against using Pledge, wood furniture should be treated with a silicone-free polish or wax a couple of times a year. Waxes may also cause build-ups, so use sparingly. Make sure to use a paste wax or liquid wax made specifically for furniture.
Mixing together a solution of two parts olive oil and one part vinegar. The oil will help to restore and replenish dry wood and remove scratches, while the vinegar will help lift out stains. This solution can also help with removing water marks.
Why is my wooden table sticky? A sticky surface typically comes from an accumulation of dirt, cooking grease and grime. Another possibility is from the buildup of furniture polish, especially waxes or oils.
It is a bad idea to clean wood furniture with pure, undiluted vinegar. Aside from leaving water stains on the wood, undiluted vinegar can harm or "eat" some of the wood furniture finishes. To make vinegar safe for cleaning wood furniture, mix it with olive oil or coconut oil.
Furniture and Wood Floor Cleaner Recipe
1/8 -1/4 c white vinegar. 2 Tbs olive oil. 20 drops of lemon essential oil (natural cleaner & stain remover)
Mix water with several drops of lemon juice to create an all natural spray to use as polish for varnished wood furnishings. Lemon mixed with olive oil or jojoba oil is another option for polishing furniture, specifically non-varnished furniture. If lemon is not available, vinegar may be substituted successfully.
Wood. The ammonia in original Windex can damage wood, so if there's a mess on your backyard deck, keep the Windex inside. “Wood is a natural surface that can dry out and crack, like your skin,” says Glickman.
When diluted properly, Murphy® Oil Soap Original Formula does not leave a residue. Despite the fact that it is called "oil soap," there is no "free oil" left behind. If you see a residue after applying Murphy® Oil Soap for the first time, it's likely that another cleaner was previously used.
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.
Store Bought Cleaners:
One of the biggest culprits is Murphy's Oil Soap. Even though it says it is safe of wood, it actually leaves an oily film on the top of the hardwood. With the oil on there, it eliminates the ability to buff or coat the floor again.
I've been using Murphys Oil Soap for about 4 years now and LOVE IT! THE SMELL IS FABULOUS! It leaves a shine that is picturesque! and since using Murphys Soaps, I have used nothing else on my hardwood floors.
The best way to preserve the finish of your furniture is to dust it every week with a slightly damp microfiber cloth or other soft cloth. Buff the surface dry. Don't over-use furniture polish. Instead, buff with a soft cloth to bring up the shine on dull furniture.