We know how satisfying the smooth texture of a new wooden dining table is, or the luxurious comfort of falling asleep in a natural wood bed. Sadly, we also know the feeling of seeing minor damage build up on the furniture we love.
Protecting your favourite pieces with natural furniture polish helps stop damage before it occurs. Some of the benefits of using furniture polish—especially furniture polish with natural beeswax—include:
- Enhanced & restored visual appeal
- Protection from gradual damage
- Improved longevity
- Ease of use
Locally made, natural wood furnishings can be a lovely addition to any home, and you can enhance the feeling they bring. Whether you have natural oak dining room furniture, cherry wood bedroom furniture, or other wooden furnishings, protecting them with polish can help them shine for years to come.
Enhanced & Restored Visual Appeal
There are few feelings that come close to the joy you can feel when you take in the natural glow of wood furniture. Furniture polish can enhance that feeling by bringing out the beauty of wood and helping older pieces shine like they are new.
Natural furniture polish with beeswax can highlight your wood furnishings without altering their colour or appearance. Using beeswax polish is all about letting the wood speak for itself with its natural gleam.
Furniture polish can also help you restore older pieces to their original shine. Cleaning your wooden furniture with beeswax polish helps remove dust, fingerprints, unwanted body oils, and other blemishes that can build up over time. In some cases, wax polish can even fill in and remove small scratches.
Protection from Gradual Damage
While wood furniture is certainly durable, it is not immune to damage. Over time and with frequent use, dust, allergens, moisture, and sunlight can all cause gradual damage to wood furnishings. In some cases, damage is surface level, but some damage can reach beyond the surface, especially when moisture is involved.
Furniture polish can create a film on the surface of your furnishings that stops dust, moisture, allergens, airborne particles, and microorganisms that could cause damage—while also creating a smooth surface for you to enjoy.
When used correctly, some types of wax polish can even stop moisture and add protection against stains. When water beads up and rolls off the surface of the wood instead of seeping in, that is a sign your natural polish is working well.
Improved Longevity
Damage can reduce the longevity of your furnishings. Even minor damage can create big problems over time. When you use furniture polish to protect your wood pieces from damage, you are also helping increase their lifespan.
Moisture can be especially harmful to the surface and internal structure of wood furnishings. Adding a wax coating to seal and protect your pieces helps you avoid issues that could force you to replace them when they could otherwise last for many years with proper care.
Ease of Use
Generally, using furniture polish should not be a difficult task. You can often include a fresh coat of polish in your seasonal cleaning routine, like during your spring and fall cleaning days. You can also take a moment to shine your furnishings before gatherings and parties by applying a new coat of polish.
How Do You Use Furniture Polish?
Most of the time, all you need to use natural polish with beeswax is a lint-free cloth. In some cases, you can even use your hands. 2 helpful tips to remember are that less is more when it comes to polish—you only need a thin coating in most cases—and you should use a lint-free cloth to get great results.
To clean and restore furniture with beeswax polish, follow these steps:
- Gently clean away any visible dust and debris.
- Apply a small amount of polish to a lint-free cloth and rub it into the surface of the wood while following the direction of the natural wood grain. Reapply polish to your cloth in small amounts if you run out.
- Wait about 5 minutes for the polish to dry before buffing your polished pieces with a clean cloth to bring out their lustre.
If you are polishing a piece for the first time or using a new polish, test out your polish on a small area before using it across the whole surface of the wood. For some new pieces, multiple coats may be necessary to fully protect and polish the wood.
How Often Should You Use Furniture Polish?
The recommended frequency for polishing furniture can depend on how often you use it. Pieces that are used more often, like a dining table, may need to be polished more frequently than decorative accent pieces.
For some pieces, polishing every 6 months can be enough. For other pieces, it might be necessary to polish them every 6 weeks. When you visit us, we can help you determine the right polish and care schedule based on your home, lifestyle, and the specific furnishings you have.
Why Use Natural Beeswax Furniture Polish?
There are many options for polishing and revitalizing the appearance of wood furniture. We prefer natural products like beeswax because they do not contain harsh chemicals that could damage other furnishings in your home or pose risks for children or animals.
As a natural polish, beeswax is also safe for surfaces where you may be eating, and it offers a green alternative to products that contain synthetic compounds. As a general rule, we especially try to avoid polish that has silicone, as it can damage wood.
Guidance from Calgarians Passionate About Furniture
At Birchwood Furniture, we know how hard it can be to find the right pieces for homes in Calgary, and we know how difficult it can be to care for them on your own. We are happy to help our friends and neighbours find furnishings they love and provide guidance on how to help their furnishings shine.
Visit us at our showroom to learn more about the pieces we offer and how we can help you get furnishings that meet all your needs for function and style.
