A homemade wood furniture polish gives a safe, natural alternative to chemical- and petroleum-based polishes. A easy polish made of olive oil and lemon juice excels furniture and offers a comfortable lemony odor, evoking an nature of clean air. Because the polish contains actual lemon juice, it should be used within a couple of days or stored in a refrigerator to guarantee freshness.
Polish Recipe and Shelf Life
Make your own lemon-scented furniture shine using one part lemon juice, two parts olive oil, or the juice in 1/2 of a lemon mixed into one cup olive oil. Any inexpensive, unflavored olive oil will do. Mix the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, like a mason jar. Secure the lid tightly and shake the jar to mix the liquids. Lemon juice may go rancid after a couple of days, so mix only what you feel you may utilize in that amount of time, or store the mixture from the refrigerator after use, allowing it to warm back to near room temperature before using it. In the refrigerator, the homemade polish lasts at least a few weeks. If it still looks and smells good, it’s. If it smells rancid or looks moldy, discard it.
Applying the Polish
To utilize the homemade wood shine, twist the jar lid tightly closed and shake the jar to mix the materials. Pour some of it onto a lint-free white fabric; then stain the fabric onto the wood. Rub in the fluid, generally following the grain of the wood. Wipe excess away with a dry cloth. Test the shine in an inconspicuous area first to make sure that you are delighted with the results.
Shelf-Stable Substitution
To adapt your lemon furniture polish so that it continues without refrigeration, substitute lemon essential oil for your lemon juice. Essential Oil carries the exact same pleasant lemony odor in concentrated form and continues indefinitely, even without refrigeration. Use 10 to 20 drops of essential oil from the mixture for starters; include a couple more drops for a more powerful odor, if you would like.
Polish Plus Cleaner Recipe
To clean and polish wood at precisely the exact same time, mix two parts white vinegar, 1 part olive oil, and only enough lemon juice or lemon essential oil to add odor, like 10 to 20 drops essential oil or one tablespoon lemon juice per cup of combined vinegar and oil. Shake the mixture in a sealed jar; then rub it over the wood using a soft, lint-free fabric. Adjust the recipe as desirable to make the process more or less oily, depending on the dryness of the wood. If using lemon juice, store it in a refrigerator or utilize it within a couple of days.