How To Restore Old Wood Furniture With Wax

How to restore old wood furniture with wax

Required materials for the process

1. Protective glasses
2. Protective gloves
3. Mask
4. Sandpaper
5. Vacuum cleaner
6. Brush
7. Paint stripper
8. Steel wool or soft cloth or paint scraper
9. Buffing cloth
10. Methylated spirit
11. Kitchen scrubber
12. Wire wool
13. Wood wax

Steps to restore old wood furniture with wax

Step 1: Strip the wood

The first step to restoring your old wood furniture is to strip the wood. This essentially removes the previous finishing and creates a clean working surface. It also makes the wax go further and also seals the wood in that gives you a much better and longer-lasting finish.

 Make sure to wear protective glasses just in case the solvent splashes.

Take a solvent-based stripper and pour a small amount of it into a cup as per requirement. This will help you take better control of the amount of product that you will use.

While using the stripper make sure to read the instructions that come within. Some strippers require neutralizing, whereas others don’t. If your one does make sure to neutralize it before starting the project.

Pour a small amount of the stripping liquid over your working surface. Then old brush with small bristles and rub it into the surface in circular motions. After you’re done with it take some steel wool and rub it off the surface. If you don’t have steel wool you can use any other material like soft cloth or paint scraper.

Do the stripping process two more times. By stripping your wood 3 times you ensure a much cleaner surface. Make sure to change the steel wool every time you take off the stripping solvent.

Step 2: Sand the surface

Next sand the surface to have a smoother finish. Even after using the stripper, you will find some stubborn areas where the stripper wasn’t effective. Use sandpaper in that area to smoothen out those rough patches.

You can use a 120 grit sandpaper or anything close to it. Take the sandpaper and gently sand the surface. You don’t need to surface the entire area rather just the areas that need sanding. For old furniture, it is very crucial for you to remove the previous finishing completely. This step will ensure that.

Use a face mask during this step. Or the dirt generated from sanding the surface will get into your nose and mouth.

Step 3: Clean the surface

After using sandpaper you will naturally have a lot of dust on your work surface. You cannot move on to the next step before cleaning it.

To do so, take a vacuum cleaner and gently get rid of all the extra dust and debris. If you don’t have a vacuum cleaner you can also use any regular cleaning cloth and brush it off. But this will also make your surrounding area dirty.

Step 4: Neutralize the surface

To neutralize the surface take some methylated spirit and pour it into a kitchen scrubber and just rub it in. Then move on to the next step.

Step 5: Put a coat of oil

For the next step take a buffing cloth and pour some wood oil into it. Rub the oil over the surface of your old furniture.

After you’re done oiling it leaves the surface untouched overnight to let it dry before going on to the next step. If you want you can do this process all over again for more shine.

Step 6: Wax polish your furniture

After the table dries overnight your last and final step is to wax it.

Take some wire wool and scoop up some wood wax then dap it on the furniture. Then buff it and smooth it out on the entire surface. After you’re done let the surface dry.

And that’s it! With these few and simple steps, you can wax your old furniture at home or anywhere else by yourself. If you made it this far then make sure to pat yourself on your back.

Things to remember while waxing your old furniture

Before you start waxing your old furniture following the above-mentioned steps here are a few things that you should keep in mind before you start with your wood waxing project.

1. Try to do your waxing project outside your home in an open space. That way there will be less damage around your working space and you won’t have much to clean up. And if you don’t have that option make sure to do it in a well-ventilated room. Or the smell from the chemicals and the dust will make it harder for you to breathe there.
2. If you are working inside your home make sure to put paper or any other protective layer around the furniture to protect the floor in case there is spillage.
3. When you are stripping the wood make sure to wear protective eye gear. If the stripper splashes and reaches your eye it will damage your eyes permanently.
4. While sanding the surface make sure to wear a mask. Sanding your wood will generate a lot of dust. If you inhale this dust it will cause breathing problems.

Did you enjoy the article? Don't forget to visit the website, housecareguide to read more on home improvement.

Conclusion

We hope you found this article helpful. We tried our best to provide you with all the answers on how to restore old wood furniture with wax and make the process easier for you.

You can easily restore your old furniture by waxing it if you follow the above-mentioned step. But if you still find these steps hard to follow you can always seek out professional help.

Thank you for being patient and staying with us till the end.

Read More about Mattress Cleaning Methods