You’ve gone through with your decision to have a custom-made joinery, you’ve even read our blog on maintaining your joinery, but you’re still confused about the DOs and DONTs in the actual cleaning of it…
You’ve come to the right place! Although wood is a tough and stable material, as a natural product it is exposed to a great risk of damage over time if not cleaned properly.
Want to know how to preserve your joinery and make it last a lifetime? Follow our comprehensive guide!
How often should I clean my joinery?
Although there isn’t a set schedule for cleaning your furniture, you should keep an eye out for certain signs that your joinery needs some extra care.
- If your joinery becomes dusty, the wood looks dull and uneven, or the polish begins to chip, then your joinery is telling you it needs some attention. In order to prevent your joinery from getting to that point, it’s recommended that you run a damp microfibre cloth over it once a week to remove any bacteria that begins to form on it.
Cleaning Products
As joiners, it is our duty to ensure that you have been given the right advice on joinery aftercare. To make your choice in cleaning materials minimal, we aim to only choose finishes made by manufacturers who also sell their own range of cleaning products. This helps our clients choose cleaning products specifically designed to work with the finish and avoid fatal errors during cleaning.
However, if those materials are not at hand and you feel confident in using your own cleaning materials, there are some things to keep in mind…
With so many different materials to choose from when creating your custom-made joinery, it only makes sense that there would be different cleaning instructions depending on the wood. Use this recommended list of cleaning materials as your cleaning bible to your joinery:
- Oak, Utile, Ash & Beech – Use a damp microfibre cloth and clear dish soap
- Walnut & Tulipwood – Mix equal parts of vinegar and hot water, then spray and wipe with a damp cloth
- Iroko – Wipe down with Methylated Spirit to remove surface oil
- Pine – Mix solution of three parts olive oil and one part white vinegar, then spray and wipe with a damp cloth
Polishing Your Joinery
There are many ways you can polish wood, depending on your material preferences. Although most people choose to use store-purchased solutions, there are a few alternative options you can look into if you’re conscious of using chemicals.
For instance, mixing vinegar with olive oil and lemon can create a mixture that can add moisture and keep the bacteria away, plus it adds a fresh scent. With this solution, you can ensure that your joinery stays looking fresh and clean.
Alternatively, if you’d like to avoid making your own but want to stick to natural alternatives, you can use a beeswax wood polisher. Beeswax can protect your joinery, cover damaged areas and add a finished look to your newly cleaned joinery.
One thing to keep in mind when using your own mixtures and natural products is that they can sometimes do as much harm as they can do good. Here’s to be noted that natural polish alternatives are not to be used on old and exotic woods as they need special treatment. We recommend testing your solutions on a small patch of the furniture to check the effect before applying it across the whole surface.
If you want to save yourself the stress of choosing the right natural materials for your wood, there are a few types of wood polish you should be aware of when choosing the perfect one for your home.
Clear polish is one of the most popular options, as it’s great for removing grease marks and stains, as well as wax and oil build-up on furniture. It consists of mineral spirits made from petroleum. Another option would be Emulsion polish. This is a mixture of petroleum and water that can be easily sprayed onto your furniture to remove dusting, as well as grease, wax and oil excess.
Did you find this helpful? Head over to our blog section for more information and tips on giving your joinery the long-lasting look it deserves!
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