How to Clean Wood Furniture Without Damaging It

Here lies the weekly squirt of spray polish. It made the table shine for a day and left a film that never quite came off.

What replaces it is simpler. A weekly and yearly routine for wood furniture. What to use. What to skip.

Weekly: dust with a damp cloth

1. Dampen a soft cloth. Lint-free cotton or microfiber. A few drops of water. Good sign: it glides and leaves no streaks. Stop if: water beads on the surface.
2. Lift things off. Lamps and bowls come up. Do not slide them across the finish.
3. Dry right after. A second dry soft cloth. Buff lightly.

Skip the feather duster, since it can scratch the finish.

Sticky spots: mild soap

1. Test first. Inside a chair leg. Somewhere nobody looks.
2. Mix a little dish soap in water. Wring the cloth until it is almost dry.
3. Wipe. Rinse the cloth. Wipe again. That lifts the soap.
4. Dry at once. Never soak wood.

What to skip

• Silicone polish. Most liquid and aerosol polishes contain it. It is hard to remove. If the piece is ever refinished it causes small craters called fish eyes.
• Oil polish. It leaves a slick surface. Slick surfaces hold dust.
• A wet rag. Damp. Never wet.

Hidden tip: wood does not need feeding. The Canadian Conservation Institute says it plainly. You clean the finish, not the wood. A steady room does more than any bottle.

Yearly: wax once

• Paste wax. Check the label for silicone.
• Once a year at most. Only on surfaces hands touch often.
• Two thin coats beat one thick coat.
• Let it dry 30 to 60 minutes. Buff with a clean cotton cloth.
• Still buffs up to a sheen? Skip the wax this year.

Where it lives matters

• Coasters under glasses. Mats under hot dishes.
• No potted plants on wood.
• Out of direct sun. Blinds help.
• Away from heaters, vents and fireplaces.
• Moving it? Lift a table by the legs or apron, not the top. Lift. Never drag.

Hidden tip: a glass top needs small felt tabs between glass and wood. Conservators recommend it. Small fix. Easy to miss.

White ring or dark ring?

Look closely. White means moisture is caught in the finish. Dark means water got through to the wood.

• White: a hair dryer on low or medium. Keep it moving. Stop once the ring fades.
• Dark: that is a refinishing job. Take it to a repair shop.

Most rings that come into my shop are white, and those are the good ones.

Cheat sheet: wood furniture care

Damp cloth weekly. Wax once a year. The table will outlast the bottle.