Some store-bought furniture polish will make wood look dirtier over time. Switch to eco-friendly homemade furniture polish for the benefit of your furniture and the planet.
Many people use wood polish as part of their regular cleaning routine, but depending on what type of polish you’re using, your furniture can actually end up looking dirtier over time. What’s more, aerosol polishes can be especially harmful to you and the environment as they release volatile organic compounds (VOC) into the air.
The alternative to using aerosol polishes is to use liquid polishes, which you can easily make at home. The infused oil homemade furniture polish recipes we’ve collected here will leave your furniture with a lovely sheen that will slowly dull down as the oil dries into the wood.
You can use sustainably sourced olive oil or linseed oil. However, you should be aware that depending on which oil you choose, the color of your wood furniture may change; always try a sample patch before going over the whole piece.
Tip: For best results, use soft cotton cloths that don’t shed their fibers. We recommend repurposing any old cotton sheets or t-shirts cut into smaller pieces. Modern microfiber polishing cloths are also effective, but you should be cautious using these as they do shed microplastics when you wash them.
Summer Furniture Polish
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil or linseed oil
- ½ oz dried lemongrass or a (handful of fresh)
- 2 lemons
Makes about 1 cup, and keeps up to 12 months. Reapply when the sheen dies down.
Method
- Combine oil with the lemongrass in a double boiler or water bath and heat gently on very low heat for 3 hours. Once infused and the oil has completely cooled, strain and press through a cheesecloth or cheesecloth substitute. You can also let the lemongrass sit in the oil for at least 4 weeks to infuse if you have the time. Be sure to keep the oil away from sunlight if you choose the slower method, as it could cause the oil to spoil.
- Mix the infused oil with the lemon juice and bottle.
Application
Prep your furniture or wooden floors by cleaning and dusting well. Once completely dry, shake the oil mixture and pour a small amount onto a cloth. Always use sparingly and rub well into the grain of the wood furniture or floors. Never pour the oil right onto the wood itself.
Festive Homemade Furniture Polish
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil or linseed oil
- 1 tbsp. ground allspice
- 2 lemons
Makes about 1 cup, and keeps up to 12 months. Reapply when the sheen dies down.
Method
- Combine oil with the spice in a double boiler or water bath and heat gently for 3 hours.
- Once cooled, mix the infused oil with the lemon juice and bottle.
Application
Prep the wood by cleaning or dry dusting. Shake oil mixture and pour a small amount on to a cloth. Always use sparingly and rub well into the grain of the wood furniture or floors. Never pour the oil right onto the wood itself.
Old Fashioned Wax Furniture Polish
This homemade furniture polish recipe is designed to should cut through any residues left by old spray polishes while protecting and sealing the wood.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- ½ cup locally and responsibly sourced beeswax, pellets, or grated into smaller bits
- 25 drops of responsibly sourced essential oil of your choosing
Makes about ¾ up of furniture polish. Keeps indefinitely.
Method
- In a double boiler or water bath, heat the white vinegar and beeswax together.
- When the wax has melted, pour the mixture into a wide-neck jar and allow time for it to cool until lukewarm.
- Add the essential oil and thoroughly mix.
Application
Apply this homemade furniture polish first to a cloth and use sparingly over the wood. It requires a little effort to work into the grain and buff up to a shine, but the oils will emit a pleasant fragrance as you polish. This waxing treatment should be done up to twice a year for any furniture that gets a lot of wear and can be rebuffed multiple times back to a nice sheen.
Read More:
- How to Clean Silver Ecologically: Silver Polish Alternatives
- Sustainable Furniture: What It Is and 10 Places to Buy It
- Natural Home Remedies for Clogged Drains
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