When it comes to caring for walnut wood furniture, you don’t want to risk using cleaners and restorers that are too harsh; doing so could damage the furniture and lower its value. At the same time, you want to find a cleaner or restorer that will do its job. It isn’t always easy to strike this balance.
Do some commercial cleaners and restorers manage to walk that fine line between too weak and too strong? Yes, they certainly do exist. But in our opinion, DIY is often the best way to go. After all, as professional furniture restorers, we often use our own recipes to tackle cleaning and restoring walnut wood furniture.
Which recipes are best? We have pulled together our top 3 walnut wood furniture cleaners and restorers that retain natural beauty for you. And since they use commonly available ingredients, they will be simple to make.
Your Basic Cleaner
Maintaining your walnut wood furniture means regular cleaning. For this, you want something that is gentle, but gets the job done. And the recipe we recommend for this is as easy as it gets: just mix equal parts white vinegar and hot water and spray on the furniture before wiping it off with a soft, clean cloth.
You can use this cleaner on any type of wood furniture, and even on wood floors. It easily gets off dust and dirt while helping the natural beauty of the wood shine through. And don’t be worried about the vinegar smell—it goes away once it dries.
A Stronger Cleaner and Restorer
For older pieces or pieces that have not been cleaned in a while, you will want something a bit stronger. Once dirt becomes caked on, your basic cleaner may not be able to remove it, and if there is minor damage, simple cleaners will not help to repair it. You will need a little more power.
The good news is that the extra power in this recipe comes from just one additional item: olive oil. Plus, it doesn’t need water, so it is still a two-ingredient recipe. The recipe is as follows:
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Mix together in a jar.
- Using a rag, apply small amounts of the solution to the furniture, gently working off the dirt and grime and restoring the polish to your walnut wood furniture.
A Bit More Polish
If the above recipe doesn’t provide the level of polish you are seeking, you may want to finish off with an actual polish recipe. And just like the recipes above, it only requires two items: beeswax and oil. What oil? It is up to you, but both olive oil and walnut oil are good choices.
You will need to grate your beeswax until you have a 4th of a cup. Mix this with one cup of the oil of your choice. You then need to melt the wax and mix it with the oil, then allow it to cool before using—but make sure you stir it as it cools to prevent separation.
This polish is suitable for many wood items, including walnut wood furniture, wood floors, and wood toys. Use just a little at a time—this recipe should last you a while. A simple, cotton cloth is the best applicator.
Rahn’s Furniture
If ever you find that your cleaning and restoring furniture needs is a bit too much to handle, we are here to help. Simply give us a call and we will pick up your furniture, perfect it, and return it to you.