How to Make Furniture Polish Using Olive Oil

Last Updated: August 10, 2021 References

It is very easy to make your own furniture polish if you want to skip the chemicals in commercial furniture polishes. There are two ways to make olive oil polish, depending on the level of polishing that your furniture needs. This kind of polish is best used on furniture that has an oiled finish rather than a shiny varnish. It's not a one-size-fits-all solution, but an alternative that some people may find worth trying.

Steps

1
Choose cheap olive oil for furniture polish. The cheapest oil, olive pomace oil, is just fine for the purposes of making furniture polish.

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Method 1

Method 1 of 2:
Deep Cleansing Furniture Oil

1
Combine the olive oil and vinegar (using proportions specified below) in a glass or ceramic container.^{[1]
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2
Apply the polish with a soft polishing cloth. Do not rub it in too hard but leave it to soak in.^{[2]
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3
Allow to air dry.

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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:
Regular Cleaning Furniture Oil

1
Combine the oil and lemon juice in a glass or ceramic container.^{[3]
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2
Apply with a soft polishing cloth.^{[4]
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3
Use the soft cloth to shine the furniture by rubbing briskly.^{[5]
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4
Allow to air dry if it hasn't already through buffing.

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Community Q&A

Question

Does the mineral oil and lemon juice mixture clean leather furniture?

Community Answer

The most effective way to clean leather furniture is to use water-diluted lemon juice, then wiping the furniture with clean water. On more heavily-stained furniture, a few drops of vinegar mixed in with the lemon-and-water solution will help further to remove the stain.
Question

What kind of vinegar should I use?

Caeiia

Top Answerer

Plain white vinegar is good.
Question

Can someone give three examples of homemade polish?

Community Answer

You can use coke, lime or lemon and you can also purchase polish from the store.
Question

Can an old and outdated olive oil be used?

Community Answer

Yes, unless it smells bad and you do not want the smell on your furniture.

Warnings

Applying this polish on fine, antique furniture may result in an undesired haze.

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Using any other kind of vinegar may stain.

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Do a test on a small section of the furniture first. If you find that the mixture leaves your furniture too oily, or you're worried about the oil getting rancid in hot weather, alter your proportions to include less oil.

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