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DIY Wood Polish

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Cleaning Tips

6 Oct
4032 

Today we’re making our own DIY Wood Polish, and it couldn’t be easier. You literally need two ingredients… and I bet they’re already in your pantry.

Make your own wood polish using two simple ingredients from your kitchen

Let’s start with this wood table that was handed down to me from my grandfather. It was in rough shape, I mean really rough shape; scratches and water stains everywhere.

Old table top showing scratches and wear prior to using DIY Wood Polish

Obviously, it was in desperate need of a little TLC, so here we go…

What You Need to Make DIY Wood Polish

Ingredients needed to make DIY Wood Polish: olive oil and vinegar

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  • Olive Oil
  • Vinegar
  • Cleaning Cloth– Flour Sack Cloths also work really well. That’s what I used.

How to Make Your Own Wood Polish

Mix together 3 parts olive oil with 1 part vinegar. Try to make an amount close to what you will actually use because olive oil is a perishable food item. Once you have your mixture, dip in a cleaning cloth and go over your wood furniture. If you notice the surface is a bit oily, take a clean, dry towel and wipe off any excess. The results were pretty amazing, but I do want to caution you on one thing…

Table top after using DIY Wood Polish

You will notice in the photo above that where there were once light watermarks, there are now darker circles. I, personally, would prefer my table have the darker circles that blend better with the wood, versus the light circles that are really noticeable, but you may not feel the same. This is why I always recommend testing any cleaning product on a small area first, and see if there is any unwanted color change. If not, continue the application.

I always think side-by-side photos are a good way to see the true results, so here you go (I know the lighting is a bit wonky; that’s what you get photographing on a stormy day I guess).

Before and After of table after using DIY Wood Polish

Find more amazing ways to use vinegar around your home here.

 

Love it? Pin it!This DIY Wood Polish is absolutely amazing! I love that it's all natural and only uses two ingredients from the pantry.


4032 

9 Comments

« $100 Room Challenge: Mudroom Makeover
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Comments

  1. Vicki says

    May 18, 2021 at 7:25 PM

    Since olive oil is perishable and can turn rancid, I would think it would eventually cause the wood to smell bad. Have you experienced this?

    Reply
  2. Becky says

    May 11, 2021 at 7:54 PM

    Since Olive Oil is a perishable food substance, why would you not use mineral oil, since this is considered a wood treatment? Just curious

    Reply
  3. Deb says

    February 25, 2021 at 6:46 PM

    Tried this today on my oak kitchen cabinet doors. It worked well on the knicks and steam marks. As you said, it darkened down the marks, but with oak it doesn’t matter a bit. Thanks for the tip!

    Reply
  4. Sandy says

    April 16, 2016 at 6:29 PM

    I have tried this myself – using lemon oil instead of olive oil. Unfortunately the drier areas and water marks came back. Did you have this problem too? What did you do to solve it?

    Reply
    • Erin Meyer says

      April 18, 2016 at 1:41 PM

      Hi Sandy!
      Thanks for the question. While I can certainly can see where the stains had been, they never came back looking a terrible as before, so I left them as is. If they are truly watermarks (white rings from moisture) my mom used to use toothpaste on them. I know, sounds so weird that I actually googled it before leaving this comment. Turns out, it actually can work… here’s a website with several ideas you could try: http://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-remove-water-stains-from-wood/#.VxUqDPkrLtQ

      Good luck!

      Reply
  5. Karen says

    March 15, 2016 at 8:52 AM

    I’ve tried rubbing the stains and scratches with the meat of a walnut. Disappears those marks and doesn’t leave them darker. Just like new

    Reply
  6. Ellen from Ask Away says

    October 7, 2015 at 7:12 AM

    Definitely gonna try this! Thank you!
    XO Ellen from Ask Away
    http://www.askawayblog.com

    Reply
    • Erin Meyer says

      October 8, 2015 at 7:26 AM

      You’re welcome Ellen!

      Reply
      • Nancy says

        January 23, 2021 at 7:09 PM

        Someone said to place an old light colored towel over the stains and use a steam iron.

        Reply

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Hi there! I'm Erin. Welcome to Lemons, Lavender, & Laundry, a place to find cleaning tips, organizational ideas, DIY projects, and budget-friendly room transformations. [Read More...]

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