By: Sumita Roy
The inner space of our
homes is, most of the time, filled with smoke, grease and dirt particles. These get
easily accumulated, over a period of time, on the exposed items in our
households like the showpieces, table tops etc. Wooden furniture is the worst
sufferer of all- its polish gets coated with dark patches that form on its surfaces.
Especially areas like the arms of the chair- the arms gets blackened when the
oil secreted from the epidermal layer of a person’s hand gets mixed with the
other air pollutants- these form a deep and almost impenetrable layer over the
exposed wooden part. This happens so gradually that you tend to forget the
original color that the wood initially possessed.
1. Commercial cleaners: These are chemicals available in the market.
These are designed to remove extensive dirt and wax accumulated on the
furniture. Usually the mix is formed by turpentine oil and a number of other
chemicals. Some of these clean as well as condition. Most of these mixtures
work best in hot and dry weather. This does not mean you should subject your
furniture to an open flame. The best way to apply and clean with these products is
by dutifully following the manual.
Water is not a very good friend of
wood, as a result we usually do not use water in cleaning any wooden furniture.
It can harm the furniture by causing discoloration, swelling and warping of
bare wood. It softens glues and separate veneers from base woods.
1. Oiled wood: These kinds of finish have a warm and soft glow. If they
take up space in your living room or bedroom, occasional application of
furniture oil will keep them in good shape. These cannot be introduced to TSP,
nor can they be waxed. To remove mild white spots formed by wet glasses and
mugs, rub them with toothpaste on a cloth. You can apply detergent and lukewarm
water mix soaked wet cloth as well, but you cannot let the mixture set on the
surface and need to immediately rub it off.
The inner space of our
homes is, most of the time, filled with smoke, grease and dirt particles. These get
easily accumulated, over a period of time, on the exposed items in our
households like the showpieces, table tops etc. Wooden furniture is the worst
sufferer of all- its polish gets coated with dark patches that form on its surfaces.
Especially areas like the arms of the chair- the arms gets blackened when the
oil secreted from the epidermal layer of a person’s hand gets mixed with the
other air pollutants- these form a deep and almost impenetrable layer over the
exposed wooden part. This happens so gradually that you tend to forget the
original color that the wood initially possessed.
These layers get thickened in
places like kitchens and basements where smoke and dirt are prevalent and their color
gets mostly overlooked by us. By the time we realize this, the cabinets and
wooden items are already almost blackened. This formation of film not only
hides the true color of the wood but also conceals major damages.
However, there is a way to get past
these without exploiting your pockets for a professional cleaning or polishing.
In the market, there are products that are specially designed to help you
with this kind of cleaning process.
There are three ways in which you can clean the furniture of your house:
1. Commercial cleaners: These are chemicals available in the market.
These are designed to remove extensive dirt and wax accumulated on the
furniture. Usually the mix is formed by turpentine oil and a number of other
chemicals. Some of these clean as well as condition. Most of these mixtures
work best in hot and dry weather. This does not mean you should subject your
furniture to an open flame. The best way to apply and clean with these products is
by dutifully following the manual.
Most of us tend to think that
scrubbing helps to clean everything, but in wooden furniture you must be aware
that too much scrubbing can lead to the loss of actual polish of the wooden
furniture.
2. Dish washing detergent and water: Warm water and detergent, more
specifically mild detergents, is the easiest mixture to come by in a household.
Mild washing powders are least likely to cause any serious damage to the
furniture but beware, this kind of washing can only be done on wooden items
that has been painted, varnished or enameled. This mixture will cause specific
type of finish like Lacquer and shellac to turn white as these absorb water.
Water is not a very good friend of
wood, as a result we usually do not use water in cleaning any wooden furniture.
It can harm the furniture by causing discoloration, swelling and warping of
bare wood. It softens glues and separate veneers from base woods.
As a result water and
detergent can only be used to wipe with the mixture laden cloth. As detergents need time to moisten the film of dirt, the furniture should be left to moisten
for a few minutes and after that re-wiped with another clean and moistened
cloth. After the entire process is over, lay it in the sunlight so that it can
dry.
3. Trisodium Phosphate: This is a heavy duty cleaner and should be
your ‘last resort’ cleaner. This is used by professional furniture and furnishings services who need to remove
accumulated layers of dirt from external walls. It has to be used on furniture
that has accumulated lots of dirt for more than a decade or so. The mixture is
created by adding two tablespoons of Tri sodium phosphate to a quart of lukewarm
water.
TSP is a harmful chemical; as a
result you should take maximum protection before using it. Wear rubber gloves
and safety glasses on your eyes while using it. Let it rest for a while and
then rub it off using a clean wet cloth.
Must dos after cleaning:
- Irrespective of the type of solution you are using to clean your furniture, make sure that your furniture has access to sunlight and at least 24 hours of drying time before you do anything else to it- this includes the process of sanding also.
- The day after cleaning it look at the furniture and think what needs to be done further. Refinishing is another hassle, so keep it in mind before you start cleaning your stuff. If you do it with perfect care then your furniture may not need any finishing with its initial polish intact.
- Also check for necessary repairs which need to be done to keep these in a functional state
1. Oiled wood: These kinds of finish have a warm and soft glow. If they
take up space in your living room or bedroom, occasional application of
furniture oil will keep them in good shape. These cannot be introduced to TSP,
nor can they be waxed. To remove mild white spots formed by wet glasses and
mugs, rub them with toothpaste on a cloth. You can apply detergent and lukewarm
water mix soaked wet cloth as well, but you cannot let the mixture set on the
surface and need to immediately rub it off.
2. Painted wood: Painted wooden furniture does not need much care. An
occasional cleaning with mild chemicals available in the market or detergent
and water dampened cloth will be enough to take care of it. If you are thinking
about the fading/ discoloration of the furniture, then apply wax once every
year after cleaning it thoroughly. This will keep them in good shape.
3. Polished wood: Wooden furniture can be polished applying varnish,
wax or laquer. Any commercial product can be used for cleaning this type of
furniture. But it would be best if polish based cleaning material is available.
After cleaning, apply paste wax which will give it a long lasting finish than either
spray or liquid polish. If you are using wax then you need to sprinkle
cornstarch as well on it and then rub it off to produce high gloss. Another way
to easy and light cleaning of furniture is by applying cloth dipped in tea.
4. Specialty wood: Furniture can also be of wicker, bamboo, rush and
cane. These are mostly done in natural finishes. Regular vacuuming is the best
way to keep them in good shape. All these can be rinsed with water and cleaned, with the exception of rush chair which can be damaged by water. Wetting cane
furniture tightens its strands and drying it naturally will keep them clean
and shining for as long as it is within the contours of your living space.
Thus. with this manual of easy cleaning go ahead and give your blackened furniture a new and fresh look. Just be careful while using TSP. Most of the furniture gets cleaned by the first two types of cleaners. The TSP is for those which have accumulated a thick layer of dirt and refuse to get cleaned by applying the first two. Also important in this process is the knowledge of the type of polish your furniture has.
