Wooden doors are resistant and look beautiful in the exterior or interior of the home, office or wherever it is installed, however, sometimes this noble material is not given the proper care and maintenance to make it look as good as possible. impeccable and in perfect condition as the first day.
In this article we will tell you some little secrets and proven tricks to care for and clean wooden doors and furniture. But remember: not all of them are treated in the same way, as this may vary depending on whether they are lacquered or not.
You should also pay attention to the parts of the door that are not made of wood, e.g. the knob, handle or window glass. Therefore, it is important that you know how to clean stainless steel parts without leaving any kind of stain and without using chemicals (if that is the material) and how to clean the glass with materials that you have at home.
4 ways to clean wooden doors with homemade tricks
This is a simple, inexpensive process that will take you no more than 5 minutes per door and can be done with products you probably have at home. We recommend performing this procedure every 15 to 20 days to avoid accumulation of dirt and damage to the aesthetics.
How to clean heavily soiled wooden doors?
Recovering the shine on old wooden doors with a mountain of accumulated dust and dirt is possible. Don’t break your head thinking about what to do and take note of the following steps to achieve it:
- Stain remover with universal solvent or inorganic alcohol: although it is similar to the basic cleaning, it changes a little since you must dampen a handkerchief with this product and then clean the door deeply, rubbing the most stubborn stains with some force.
- Once cleaned and stained as much as possible, apply specific wax for wood: This is one of the infallible allies when it comes to restore the shine to worn wood. Simply add some to a clean cloth and rub up and down until you notice how it starts to shine as before.
- If the furniture has encrusted grease, a trick that always works is talcum powder exactly on the dirt, leave for 20 minutes and remove with a slightly damp towel with a mixture of neutral soap and water.
- And finally, another natural stain-removing tactic can be done with inexpensive and readily available ingredients. It is the combination of lemon juice and vinegar, which also works for parquet, kitchen, floor.
Cleaning wooden doors with vinegar
Vinegar is a natural cleaner widely used throughout the world, mainly because it is deodorizing, zero toxic, does not damage the finish of the wood, nor deforms it as happens with other types of products. So yes, this is an environmentally friendly, cheap and harmless option. You will only need vinegar, water, a soft cloth and a medium bowl. This is the process:
- Prepare a mixture by diluting 3 tablespoons of vinegar and one cup of water.
- Dust the furniture.
- Then dip the cloth in the mixture and rub the door in circles over the entire surface.
Basic cleaning of a lacquered wood door
In case your door has been previously waxed or lacquered, it is not necessary to apply wax, sinceit has a varnish that protects it, therefore, you only need to do the following:
- The first thing to do is to remove the excess dust with a feather duster or a chamois.
- Then, with a cotton cloth, chamois or microfiber dampened with warm water and neutral soap, clean everywhere to remove dirt and do not forget to dry at the end. Keep in mind that, if you want to give it more shine and it is about doors with special paint, the best thing to do is to clean with products indicated for this material.
- In the case of knobs and frames, disinfect and clean them in the same way with neutral soap and water. You can add a few drops of an essential oil of your favorite scent (eucalyptus, for example) to the cloth to enjoy a relaxing fragrance throughout the house.
What is the best way to clean wooden doors?
The best way, or grandmother’s trick (as mothers would say) is to use vinegar, a cheap product that works as well as a specific one. Once you have stirred the water and vinegar well, dip one of the cloths in the bucket and wring it out well (do not let it drip), wipe the door and then dry it with another cloth to leave the door completely dry.
How can you bring back the shine to wood?
We offer you again a solution with natural products that you have at home, to get back the shine what we do is to mix equally olive oil and lemon juice, we moisten a cloth and pass it over the furniture, remember that it is not a specific cleaner, you will always have a better result with a product designed for this, but it serves as a solution.
Although there are expertly manufactured wood waxes available at your local supermarket, you can make your own natural wax with just two ingredients: water and olive oil, just as using olive oil and lemon juice can be done with water.
- This mixture should be 50% and 50%, that is, if you use 30 ml of water, you should add 30 ml of olive oil and mix.
- Soak a clean cloth in this mixture and wipe the entire door and leave for 30 minutes.
- After this time, rub well with a dry handkerchief to remove the preparation.
How do you remove grease from wood if your kitchen cabinets are made of wood?
Here, again, we use a product that we usually have at home, baking soda. Please note that this product is abrasive, so do not use it on delicate surfaces. This product is used sprinkling it and passing a sponge or cloth with warm water or water with white vinegar, the grease is released as if we were using kh7 or another product.
We wanted to offer you natural and common products that you usually have at home, but we will always prefer to use specific products because that way we avoid hump or stain the wood (especially if it is untreated) so always try to test before in a part that is not seen and then apply to the entire table, door or cabinet.
Final recommendations for cleaning your doors
- Do not abuse with the duster. It is good for removing dust from the surface, however, it can also spread it elsewhere and the remedy is worse than the disease.
- The doors are cleaned at the end. Start with the shelves, furniture, floor and at the end, go to the cleaning of the doors, thus preventing dust and dirt from damaging the work already done.
- Dry thoroughly after cleaning: If like me, you love furniture in general in a way, you’ll know that moisture is one of the most dreaded enemies of its beauty. So, dry them optimally so that they do not crack and do not lose their shine.
- Never forget the frames, knobs and handles! These are the most forgotten, and, without a doubt, the ones with the most germs and bacteria since we are in constant contact with them. Weekly cleaning of these areas is recommended.