Alternative Furniture Polish

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Alternative Furniture Polish

By Annie Berthold

We all know the smell --lemon with a touch of engine oil -- that we

identify as furniture polish. What we may not identify with the

smell is the irritability, depression, and other bad moods that can

be the response to its use.

 

How many people polish their furniture before a dinner party, only

to wonder why they are so cranky before the guests arrive? Even

worse, the smell of furniture polish can linger on furniture for

weeks and months after use, causing a low level of air pollution

that puts a strain on the central nervous systems of everyone living

there. The petroleum distillates and solvents in commercial

furniture polish are highly neurotoxic.

 

Replacing commercial furniture polish with a homemade formula is at

the top of the list of priorities for establishing a healthier home,

along with oven cleaner and pesticides.

 

Homemade Furniture Polish

Most of the old folk formulas for furniture polish ask for 1/4 cup

of oil or so, plus a few drops of vinegar. I feel those folk

formulas leave the furniture too oily, and in hot weather there is a

risk of the oil going rancid.

 

Instead, I've found that reversing those ratios -- using 1/4 cup

vinegar plus a few drops of oil -- makes for a much better wood

cleaner and polish. The vinegar pulls the dirt out of the wood, and

the few drops of oil lubricates the wood so that it doesn't dry out.

 

The best oils to use are those that have the longest shelf life.

Olive oil works well. The best choice of all is the liquid wax

jojoba, because it never goes ranced. It is found in most health

food stores. Boiled linseed oils found in hardware stores have

synthetic drying chemicals in them and shouldn't be used. I do love

the smell of linseed oil in a furniture polish -- it is rich and

nutty -- but I only use that which is food grade.

 

You can substitute lemon juice for the vinegar. Organic apple cider

vinegar is the best choice of vinegar, although I don't usually

recommend this for general cleaning because of the possibility of

staining. If you are cleaning something that could possibly stain,

use white distilled vinegar.

 

Homemade Furniture Polish Cloth

 

Dip a soft recycled cloth, such as one of flannel, in the vinegar

and oil mixture, and wipe furniture.

 

Lemon Oil Duster

Most commercial lemon oil is not all natural, but may contain

petroleum distillates. Contact herbalists for pure sources of lemon

oil. Traditionally, lemon oil has been used for furniture because it

is so lubricating and antiseptic.

 

10 drops lemon oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

A few drops olive oil or jojoba

 

Dip a soft recycled cloth, such as one of flannel, in the lemon oil

mixture, and wipe furniture