Natural Furniture Polish (homemade recipes & good brands)

Millions of homes across England contain aerosol cans of furniture polish, often sprayed onto furniture around the home with a yellow duster, wiped off and forgotten about.  What what do these polishes contain? And do we really need to polish everything in sight? No!

This table is made from reclaimed wood from Hastings pier!

Why avoid conventional furniture polish sprays?

Most furniture polish sprays contain volatile organic compounds (the same toxins found in many household paints) that not only can damage wood. And also irritate your respiratory system and make you feel light-headed after use. And obviously are not safe during pregnancy/nursing, for people with medical conditions, and should not be used near children and pets.

These VOCs also linger in the air and potentially trigger headaches, asthma and skin conditions.

Most also contain silicone, which contains a build-up of plastic on wood, unlike natural oils or waxes which nourish the grain of real wood and build a protective barrier against moisture and dust. And unlike natural polishes, furniture polish does not biodegrade, and therefore causes chemical run-off into water systems.

Many also contain oil-derived petroleum and formaldehyde (a cancer risk that can damage lung tissue, also used in dissection labs and to embalm dead bodies).

And until the cans are empty (when they can be put into household recycling), you have to drive to the local tip, to safely recycle the cans at hazardous waste.

They are also flammable, and should never be used near open flames or heat sources, not pierced or burned after use, nor used in higher temperatures. Phew, that’s quite a lot of safety concerns, for a can of polish.

Most of the time, just wipe with a damp cloth

For a start, you don’t actually need to use anything on ‘modern furniture’, a soft wipe with a damp cloth is enough. Avoid microfibre cloths, these just mean more plastic leaching from washing machines and into the sea, when you launder them.

SEEP general-purpose cleaning cloths are plastic-free, easy to launder and sold in cardboard packaging. Sold in packs of three, to use different colours for each room.

Why switch to natural furniture oils and waxes?

Natural wood benefits from some oil or wax, but you don’t have to use beeswax (which obviously belongs to the bees, and also many people don’t like the aroma it leaves).

The reason to switch is simply to eliminate all the concerns above – no dangerous chemicals, no run-off to harm aquatic life and no hassle on recycling the cans.

How to protect wooden furniture, naturally

• Arrange furniture to avoid sunlight (or use curtains and blinds). Use coasters on tables to protect from water damage.
• Revive dirty furniture with a mix of warm water and mild soap and apply with a soft cloth. Remove grime by mixing equal parts water or olive oil with white vinegar. 

Homemade natural furniture polish

You can make your own polish easily with kitchen staples like olive oil. Make in small batches to avoid it going rancid, and store in a closed jar. For recipes containing lemon juice, avoid near pets, as citrus oils are toxic to animal friends. 

Mix 2 parts rapeseed or olive oil with 1 part lemon juice. Apply with a soft cloth to polish. To make a spray polish, combine 50ml of olive oil with 15ml of cleaning vinegar into a reusable spray bottle.

Always test on a hidden area before use, and work the polish in a circular motion with the cloth. Allow the polish to sit for a few minutes, before buffing away with a clean cloth.

And even if you do polish wood, it only needs to be done once every few months or so, not every day or week! A damp clean cloth is all you need the rest of the time.

Linseed oil is good for wood, but is flammable (a reason why brushes have to be soaked in water afterwards, as the oil can spontaneously combust). So it’s safer to use it in professional formulations, like the one listed below. The two plant-based waxes popular in furniture polish are carnauba and candelilla (ensure both are responsibly sourced, to ensure farmers are fairly treated).

Bio-D Furniture Polish (in metal tins)

Bio-D Furniture Polish is sold in an easy-to-recycle metal tin. It’s made from a blend of plant waxes, is affordable and easy to use. It’s effective on treated and untreated wood, its main ingredient is linseed oil.

Suitable for septic tanks, it’s made using solar power. Just apply with a soft cloth, and buff gently. Regular use helps to resist spills and finger-marks. Buy online in bulk, to save on postage fees.

Delphis Eco Multi-Surface Polish

Delphis Eco Multi-Surface Polish is a spray polish for home or industrial use, it features an anti-static formula to pick up dust, and leave a streak-free finish. Use on any hard surface (laminate, chrome, veneer, stainless steel, glass and plastic), not just wood. The page does not list ingredients. So don’t use around pets, in case it contains essential oils. 

How to safely recycle cans of furniture polish

If empty (no ‘hissing sound’ when you depress the nozzle), you can place in your recycling bin. Dispose the lid in plastic recycling, you can leave the spray nozzle attached, it’s removed automatically by machines during the recycling process.

Don’t pierce or flatten these cans, as even if empty they could release fumes or even explode. If cans have orange ‘hazardous skull or flame symbols’, take cans with any product inside to your local tip, there should be dedicated bins for hazardous waste. If you don’t live near one, call your council to ask for collection.