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Wood
is one of the most common household products as it is used for everything from floors and shelves to furniture and kitchenware. Rather than continually buying expensive wood cleaners at the store, you can make your own as needed for very cheap. Use the information in the steps below to make a cleaner that perfectly suits your wood and your needs.
You Will Need:
- A spray bottle
- Lemon juice or white vinegar
- Water
- Olive oil or coconut oil (optional)
- Castile soap (optional)
- Essential oils (optional)
Steps to Make the Cleaner:
- Put ½ cup of either lemon juice or white vinegar in a spray bottle.
- Add ½ cup of water.
- Choose one of these options:
- To polish the wood while you clean, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil or coconut oil. Coconut oil is an antimicrobial that adds extra cleaning power. Buff the wood with a dry cloth after cleaning with this recipe to smooth out the polish.
- For extra cleaning power, 1 teaspoon of castile soap (liquid) can be added instead of the oil. However, due to the soap content, this recipe will need to be wiped off the wood with a damp cloth afterward.
- Add some essential oils for scent, even more cleaning power, or to improve old wood.
- Some good oil choices for scent are 8 drops of either sweet orange, geranium, or bergamot.
- Some good choices to help kill germs are 20 drops of raspberry, lemon oil, and/or pine.
- For old wood, use 8 drops of cedar and/or patchouli to help restore the luster.
- Shake the bottle well to mix the ingredients before each use.
Additional Tips:
- Always spray a cleaner onto a cloth rather than onto a surface.
- Do not leave this or any cleaner, including plain water, on a wood surface to soak as it can damage the wood.
- Wood surfaces that come in contact with food, such as cutting boards, require special cleaning methods. See our guide How to Clean a Wooden Cutting Board for more info.
Sources:
- Cleaning Plain & Simple by Donna Smallin
- DIY Natural Household Cleaners by Matt and Betsy Jabs
- Natural Green Home Cleaning For Beginners by R. Kishore
- The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Meyer
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