How to Clean Lacquered Wood Furniture

Lacquered wood furniture is fairly common in homes, as its beauty is an instant draw for many people, and tables, pianos and even chairs are often finished with lacquer. However, many people don't know how to properly care for lacquer, which is fairly delicate and can easily be damaged by repeated improper cleaning. Proper cleaning, whether for general care and removal of fingerprints and dust, or damaged areas and rings, is fairly simple, and once learned, can help to keep your lacquered wood furniture looking new for a long time. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

General Cleaning

1

Purchase a commercial polish made for polished surfaces like lacquer. If your lacquered wood furniture has a dark or light color, make sure you choose an appropriate color or choose a clear polish that will not alter the color of your furniture.

2

Apply the commercial polish with a clean, lint-free cloth while wearing cotton gloves to prevent fingerprints on the surface of the furniture.

3

Buff the furniture with a clean cloth, removing as much of the oil as possible.

4

Sprinkle a small amount of cornstarch over the recently polished surface and allow the cornstarch to rest for 5 minutes.

5

Gently wipe the cornstarch off the table with a second lint-free cloth. The cornstarch helps to remove excess oil left on the surface of furniture from the polish.

White Spots and Rings

6

Apply a light layer of mayonnaise to areas that have become white and damaged. Don't put on too much, just enough to lightly coat the area.

7

Allow the mayonnaise to stay on the area for 1 hour without touching it.

8

Wipe the mayonnaise off with disposable paper towels. Try to avoid spreading the mayonnaise over the surface of the furniture as you wipe it off.

9

Follow the instructions for general cleaning in Section 1 after removing the mayonnaise mixture.