How to Clean Wood Cabinetry and Furniture

What do you use to clean your cabinetry and furniture? There are many products on the market that claim to leave your wood finishes in good shape. We recommend a “less is more” approach.

Start by taking a microfiber cloth and wetting it with warm water. Wring it out as much as you can…it should be slightly damp at best.

Wipe the surface down well, removing any fingerprints, food or other substance, by rubbing gently.

Once they are clean, you can prepare another microfiber with the warm water, using the wring well technique, then add a tablespoon (approximately) of lemon oil, or other high quality furniture oil, to the cloth. Wring it and mash it until the oil is distributed well. Wipe all surfaces with this cloth, removing any excess with a clean, dry cloth.

This will keep your wood finishes from excess buildup of dust, skin oil and environmental crud.

We highly discourage the use of the yellow can, lemon scented spray-on wax products that have silicone in them. These products build up and leave a grimy mess on the surface. Yes, they smell good but they are not optimal for the surface of your wood and make it difficult to repair or refinish down the road.

NOTE: Oil soaps, such as Murphy’s, used sparingly, also work well to remove surface impurities.