What most people don’t know, is that most furniture products that are used to clean or shine wooden furniture are typically all classified as furniture polish. These may include but aren’t limited to:
- Furniture Paste
- Furniture Cream
- Furniture Lotions
- Furniture Waxes
Historically most furniture polishes were composite of a range of natural waxes. The problem with traditional wood waxes was their application was difficult, time consuming and more often would end up with a lot of unsightly wax build up on furniture surfaces. In modern times, a range of new polishes have been introduced, many still containing natural waxes such as beeswax or carnuba, as well as natural oils such as teak and tung oil. The primary difference is more chemicals, often petroleum based, have now been added to improve application as well as final finish.
Most of these have been created to reduce the build-up of wax and make the process of polishing furniture easier. In fact, the most common modern furniture polish is usually cleverly designed aerosol sprays.
ALL FURNITURE POLISH IS NOT CREATED EQUAL
Furniture polish in spray form is the most popular of the polishes because of their convenience and ease of use. But, be aware that all furniture polishes are not created equal, nor do they accomplish the same tasks. You should have a clear objective before choosing one.
I know, that sounds like way too much consideration to give to a furniture polish but choosing the correct furniture polish can be very beneficial. Most people today use a furniture polish as an accessory for dusting furniture, which isn’t necessary if all that you want to achieve is the removal of dust. In which case all you need is a soft cloth, synthetic and/or natural.
A soft cotton cloth is an excellent choice but microfiber dust cloth is arguably the best material available today for dusting. But, If you have an interest in protecting and preserving your furniture, however, you should consider a furniture polish with a wax base formula, such as Original Beeswax Polish.
If you are using a spray polish as your primary care and maintenance polish, then all you need to do is choose a quality product and follow the manufacturers directions for use. Moreover, if you are using a paste wax or liquid wax for primary care and a spray polish for maintenance, be aware that the spray polish could potentially harm the the waxed surface or remove it entirely.
The reason is that most furniture polishes are a solvent base, i.e. mineral spirits and turpentine, which both remove wax. They are good vehicles for getting the wax to the surface (if you are okay with solvent) but once the solvent has evaporated and all that is left is the wax, any solvent that comes into contact with it will remove it. In other words it is counter productive to spray a solvent base furniture polish over a paste wax or liquid wax surface.
BEST SELLING WOOD AND FURNITURE POLISHES.
The typical problem when looking for a furniture polish is that most people are looking for one product that does it all. Unfortunately that isn’t the right way to look at it. Each part of your furniture has its own make up based on what material were used to put it together. Your furniture could be made up of wood, leather, pelt, fur, suede, cloth, glass etc .
This is why you should probably look to invest in a combination of polishes and cleaners to revive and clean your furnishings. The other thing to keep in mind is that a lot of commercially well-known and marketed cleaners have a fair amount of chemicals – you should always look into what the product make up is and if its suitable for your environment and your family. A lot of people favour aerosol cleaners over traditional polishes and waxes.
Unfortunately this could sometimes be false economy – and harmful to your furniture. The best polish to pick would be the one that suits your furniture’s needs, but is also best suited to carry the task at hand.
The best way to find the right polish to use? A bit of research and genuine customer reviews. On this page we list some of the most popular and well-reviewed products on the market…
THE BEST SELLING POLISHES
HOWARD FEED-N-WAX WOOD POLISH
Howard Feed and Wax polish is the number one seller in the market at the moment with over 1400 reviews. If you want to stop your wood finish to last longer and not to dry out, then this is the best polish for your wooden furniture. It is advertised as a product that “introduces” natural oils. The active natural oil is orange based which helps enhance the natural look of your wooden furniture. The polish also contains Carnauba Wax as well as Beeswax, which form a natural wax coating to protect your wood.
Verified Customer Comment: Howards Feed N Wax is the only polish that refreshes dried out wooden furniture, especially when I applied them on my kitchen cabinets. My cabinets ended up looking brand new!
WEIMAN LEATHER CLEANER & CONDITIONER – 12 FL.OZ
From the high quality specialty surface cleaning manufacturer comes this brilliant leather cleaning and conditioning spray. Its multi-action formula will clean, moisturize, restore and protect all types of leather. So it can be used on leather furniture, clothing, car seats and various other pieces of leather apparel. This high quality spray also contains six natural cleaners and oils that will condition leather goods and restore their natural suppleness and sheen.
The spray also contains UVX-15 sunscreen that will protect leather from the damaging effects of sunlight. This Weiman Leather Cleaner & Conditioner is an absolute necessity for ensuring any leather goods in your household will always remain in great shape and look their best.
OLD ENGLISH SCRATCH COVER POLISH FOR LIGHT WOODS
From the furniture cleaning products retailer Old English comes this brilliant scratch cover polish that’s been specially designed for use with light wooden furniture and fixtures. Each bottle of this liquid furniture polish contains 8 ounces so it will last a good long time and it can be safely used a variety of wooden furnishings.
This wood polish is ideal for cleaning away scratches and scuffs and will have wooden furnishing looking great again after just one quick coat. While the polish works best with lighter wooden furniture it can also be applied to more medium toned wood and will provide similar results.
OLD ENGLISH SCRATCH COVER FOR DARK WOOD
From the leading furniture cleaning products retailer Old English comes this amazing scratch cover polish that’s been expertly designed for use with dark wood furnishing like mahogany, cherry and many more. This liquid polish is perfect for recovering and rejuvenating wooden goods of all kinds including: floors, furniture and even wooden car interiors.
Nicks, scratches and stains can all be tackled with this brilliant all-purpose polish which comes in 8 ounce bottles so it will last for a good long time and can be used all around your home.
MINWAX 78500 REGULAR FINISHING WAX
From America’s leading brand of wood finishing and wood care products Minwax comes this finishing wax paste. This wondrous wax will add a beautiful finish to any wooden surface and is a great way to add some extra protection to your wooden furnishings. These one pound tubs are suitable for all kinds of wooden goods including furniture, antiques, cabinets and many more. It cleans, protect and polishes and is also suitable for wooden flooring and for most jobs one coat will be enough to get a good clean finish.
Raw wood will in most cases require two coats, so if you’re looking for a good all-purpose way to protect and clean any wooden furnishing this excellent wax paste is ideal.
PARKER & BAILEY KITCHEN CABINET CREAM
From the professional leading name in wood care polishing and cleaning products Parker & Bailey comes this amazing kitchen cabinet cream. This brilliant product is going to be your new best friend when it comes to cleaning your kitchen. It’s safe and easy to use and its expertly crafted formula will gently remove cooking oil residue, fingerprints and other everyday kitchen mess and grime.
The formula also doesn’t contain any waxes, silicones or harmful solvents so it will beautifully rejuvenate kitchen furniture leaving a long lasting natural appearance.
LEMON SCENT PLEDGE FURNITURE POLISH
From the leading cleaning products manufacture Pledge comes this brilliant all-purpose furniture polish. It offers a beautiful lemon scent that will fill your home with a wondrous natural beauty every time you dust. The 13.8 ounce bottle offers 40% more than the regular 8 ounce size and it has the same anti-dust formula that Pledge is famed for so it will remove up to 90% of the natural allergies in dust.
This great polish can be used all around your home on a wide variety of surfaces including: stainless steel, auto interiors, leather and wood.
GUARDSMAN CLEAN & POLISH, WOODLAND FRESH
From the furniture repair and cleaning products provider Guardsman comes this excellent all-purpose revitalizing wood polish spray. This 16 ounce spray will be beautifully clean and enhance the beauty of wooden furnishings.
It also leaves a refreshing woodland scent that will help repair and conceal surface scratches. And unlike many competitors this brilliant polish spray is silicone-free so it will preserve the radiance of that always popular fine wood finish. It also contains no waxes or abrasives so they’ll be no greasy film left behind.
USING FURNITURE POLISH: BASIC TIPS
Most furniture makers will have cleaning tips and advice on what works best. The best furniture polish for your furniture is usually determined by the maker based on what materials have gone into the piece of furniture, especially the surface area. The average furniture polish contains silicone oil, which should not be used on all types of furniture, especially antique furniture, you may cause harm to the wood surface.
Most commercial furniture polishes are best suited for shiny veneers or protected coated furniture. If your polish is oil based, then you should consider that you may make the surface fairly slippery. Ideally you should only use these on furniture pieces where friction is not necessary (nothing worse than a slippery dinner table!).
Oil polishes also unfortunately attract and trap dust, which means although they give a great shiny finish, they will quickly dull with the presence of dust. These surfaces tend to smear as well. When polishing, you have to remember that an ideal polish for wood furniture isn’t ideal for all metal – some oils and chemicals can damage metal pieces in your wood furniture – ideally don’t use the same polish or use a multi-purpose polish. If possible, separate the metal from the wood and polish separately.
- Commercial polishes and their chemicals aren’t best used for antiques. Try and avoid using them on your antique furniture.
- Like any cleaning product, always use your furniture polish on a small area of your furniture, to make sure its suitable.
- Always dust your furniture first before applying furniture polish. If possible wipe down well with a cloth.
- As most polishes are a combination of chemicals, you should always make sure that you have windows open and a fair amount of ventilation.
Furniture Richie
