How to Remove Furniture Polish from Wood

Joan said, “How do I get a build up of furniture polish off my laminate floor? A cleaning service recently sprayed furniture cleaner on my kitchen cabinets and its seems most of it landed on the floor. The floor is so slippery, my dog keeps falling when she attempts to walk across the kitchen floor. It’s now covered in rugs to avoid this problem. I’ve washed it twice with the water/vinegar solution, but that doesn’t seem to help. Thanks for any and all advice.”

You Will Need:

• Cornstarch
• A cloth
• A broom or vacuum
• White vinegar
• Water
• Dish liquid
• Black tea bags

Steps to Remove the Polish:

1. Sprinkle some cornstarch over the area. Let the cornstarch sit for about 10 minutes to absorb the polish, then use a dry cloth to buff the area. Sweep or vacuum up the powder.¹
2. Combine equal amounts of water and white vinegar. Wipe the area with the solution. Wipe the area with a dry cloth afterward to remove the excess liquid.¹
3. Since most furniture polish is oil-based, a grease-cutting dish liquid can work well to remove it. Combine some dish liquid in water to make suds, skim the suds off the surface of the water with a cloth and wipe the suds onto the polished area. Continue washing the surface with the sudsy water until the polish is gone. Wipe the area with a dry cloth to remove the excess liquid afterward.²
4. Make a quart of boiling water and add two regular Lipton tea bags. Let the tea cool, then dampen a cloth with the tea, wring the cloth out thoroughly so that it’s not dripping, and use the damp cloth to wipe off the furniture polish. Wipe the area with a dry cloth to remove the excess liquid afterward.¹

• If fresh, rubbing the area with a dry cloth can remove any excess polish, leaving only a thin layer.³
• Always apply furniture polish onto a cloth and use the cloth to wipe the polish onto the intended surface. This will greatly reduce the possibility of overspray, as well as the possibility of applying too much polish in one area.

1. Joey Green’s Cleaning Magic
2. How the Queen Cleans Everything! by Linda Cobb
3. 99 Cent Solutions by Reader’s Digest