Woodwork projects and furniture all lose their shine with time. Over time, you might get a minor scrape or two on your furniture piece like your dining table.When this happens, you will want to restore their shine and at least try to mask the scrapes. This is where wood polish comes in handy.
With the right wood polish, you get to add luster to the wood and restore your furniture’s former glory. With the many brands of wood polish on the market, this can be a bit daunting.
In this article, we tell you about the six best wood furniture polishes for you to make your work a lot easier. We will also tell you all you need to know to consider the best wood furniture polish for your needs.
Best Wood Furniture Polish Reviews
Here is a list of the six best polishes you can get on the market right now. Let’s take a look!
1. 2PCS Wood Seasoning Beeswax for Wood and Furniture
Beeswax has been used to polish wood for over half a millenia. It’s still widely used today because it works.
This wood polish is versatile and works great on all kinds of wood, removing oil build-up, grime, and masking scrapes to restore the natural beauty and shine.
It’s versatile and works perfectly on all kinds of furniture. The wax polish is easy to use, as all you have to do is spread it on the furniture’s surface evenly. After that, you let it rest for about 30 minutes. If you want a deeper restoration, however, let it rest for about 15 hours.
You should clean the furniture before application. After the polish dries, wipe the surface repeatedly with a cloth or towel, and you are good.
Unlike other kinds of wood polish, this beeswax polish does not interfere with the finish on your furniture.
Pros
- Works great on all kinds of furniture and wooden floors
- Easy to apply
- Restores and protects your furniture
- Does not interfere with wood finish
Cons
- Can be a bit greasy
2. Guardsman 461100 Polish for Wood Furniture-Silicone Free, UV Protection
Guardsman is one of the most trusted woodcare brands on the market. They have been around for more than a century. That said, this wood polish is one of the best you will find on the market.
Unlike silicon-based wood polishes that mess up the finish of the wood, this polish does not interfere with your furniture’s finish. It just helps accentuate the natural beauty and restore the luster of your wood furniture, while cleaning and masking scraps.
While other wood polishes leave an unpleasant odor on your furniture, this polish leaves a pleasant woodland scent.
This polish also has UV sunblock protection, which protects your furniture from UV rays and keeps its natural wood color.
The Guardsman 461100 polish cleans and protects your wood without leaving behind an oily residue that will attract dust like other kinds of polish.
Pros
- No oily residue left behind
- Cleans the wood and restores the woods natural luster
- No nasty odor left behind
- Has UV protection for protection against UV rays
Cons
- A little pricey
3. Lemon Oil with Beeswax Furniture Polish
This wood polish combines both lemon oil and beeswax to get the best results for wood polishing.
Lemon oil works to clean the wood while the beeswax works to restore the wood’s luster and protect it.
Unlike other wood polishes that will mess up your wood finish, this polish has no silicone additives that damage the finish. There are no artificial colors either: the polish just restores the natural wood color and shine.
The polish uses natural ingredients, like beeswax and lemon oil which makes it safe and non-toxic.
The wood polish helps protect the wood from water and alcohol as well as prevent the wood from getting fingerprint stains.
It’s versatile and can be used to polish marble and metal surfaces as well.
Pros
- Uses natural ingredients
- Protects the wood from water and alcohol
- Versatile-can be used to polish marble and metal too
- Contains no silicone
- Does not interfere with the wood finish
Cons
- No UV protection
4. Guardsman Clean & Cream Polish for Wood Furniture
This is another polish from Guardsman that works perfectly to restore your wood’s beauty and clean grime and oil build-up. It also protects the wood.
It has no artificial gloss. All the polish does is accentuate the natural beauty of your furniture’s wood and restore its natural shine.
Unlike other wood polishes that leave your wood with a bad odor, this polish leaves behind a woodland scent that’s refreshing.
The polish also contains UV sunblock protection that protects your furniture from discoloration. This helps outdoor woodwork projects retain their good looks.
If you have scratches on your furniture that are starting to make your furniture look aged, this polish helps mask blemishes, keeping your family heirlooms looking timeless.
The polish has no silicone that messes up your wood finishing and is safe to use on treated wood.
Pros
- Has no silicone
- Protects your furniture from UV rays that cause discoloration
- Leaves a woodland scent on your furniture
- Easy to use
Cons
- May leave streaks if not applied right
5. Pine-Sol Spray Furniture Polish
Pine-Sol’s polish restores your furniture’s natural woody shine with its four-in-one formula. It polishes wood, cleans, conditions, protects, as well as restores the natural beauty of the wood to keep your furniture pieces looking their best.
Its leaves behind a natural woody shine that lasts for a long time. This protects the wood from elements as well as wear and tear.
While other wood polishes leave behind a not-so-pleasant odor, this polish leaves behind a clean, lemony scent.
It’s easy to use as all you have to do is spray on the surface you are polishing and wipe it down. Keep in mind not to use this polish on wooden floors as it makes them slippery. It’s also flammable and should not be sprayed near an open flame.
Pros
- Leaves a lemon scent behind
- Easy to use
- Protects furniture and keeps it looking great
Cons
- Not very safe
- Can’t be used on floors
6. Furniture CPR, 18-ounce Bottle
One of the major flaws of wax-based polishes is that they leave a wax residue behind, and over time this build-up makes your furniture too waxy and unappealing. With this wood polish, you will not have to worry about that. This polish leaves no wax build-up or any oily residues that attract dust.
It cleans, conditions, and polishes the wood to restore the good looks of your furniture pieces to keep them looking as good as new.
You can use it for your everyday furniture clean up or for restoration purposes for wood that has been neglected for a while.
It does not mess up your wood’s finishing, rather it enhances the overall look.
It’s safe to use on all kinds of wood.
Pros
- No wax build-up
- No oily residue
- Restores the natural beauty and shine of the wood
- Safe to use on all kinds of wood
Cons
- None I could find
Considerations for the Best Wood Furniture Polish
When you go shopping for wood polish for your furniture, there are a few things you ought to keep in mind to help you get the best one suited for your wood polishing needs. Otherwise, you might end up wasting your money on a product you use just once, or worse, a product that damages your furniture.
To avoid this, here are the most important factors to keep in mind.
The Polish Formulas
Generally, there are four basic polish formulas on the market: wax, silicone, oil-based, and emulsion wood polishes. Depending on the wood you want to polish, each option carries its own set of pros and cons. This is how they differ from each other.
Silicon-based polishes contain silicone and wax. They help clean and polish the wood leaving a thin film of the protective layer behind. The problem with silicon-based polishes is that they can interact with the wood finish, and this can mess up the look.
Oil-based polishes, on the other hand, are based on mineral oils with some petroleum-based solvents. They clean oil-based grime and dirt off the furniture and leave an oily film to protect the furniture. They are best used with oil-based finishes.
The major drawback with most oil-based polishes is that they leave an oily residue behind that attracts dust on the surface it has been used on.
The third option is wax-based polishes. While these have been on the market for a long time, the wrong one might cause a wax build-up on the wood, dampening its look.
Emulsion polishes are made of cleaning agents, oil, and water. They will clean both water and oil-soluble grime off the wood. They leave a nice gloss look on the furniture, and they work well on furniture with varnish finishing without damaging their look.
What Kind of Finishing Do You Have on Your Furniture and Does the Polish Work Well With the Finish?
The kind of finish you have on your furniture will determine the kind of polish you buy. Some polishes work well with varnish for instance, while others don’t. Make sure the polish you are buying does not damage the furniture finishing you have.
Safety
Always keep this in mind when you are getting furniture polish. Some polishes are flammable for instance, while others leave a slippery residue on the furniture and this makes them unsafe to use on the floors as someone could get hurt.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wood Furniture Polish
What is the Best Wood Polish for Restoring Old Furniture?
When you want to restore old furniture or antiques, a wax-based polish always works better than any other kind of wood polish. The secret is in how you apply the polish on the furniture.
Make sure you allow the wax enough time to soak into the furniture and the turpentine in the wood to evaporate. This takes 30 minutes, or longer if you want the best results. After that, you can buff the wax off the furniture.
How Often Should I Polish My Furniture?
You can polish furniture as often as you like or as often as you deem necessary to keep your furniture looking great. Be careful with polishes containing water, however, as excess usage can lift the finish.
What is the Best Wood Polish?
The best wood polish will depend on several variables depending on what your polishing needs are. If you consider all the factors I have outlined above, you will get the best one suited for your needs.
Conclusion
Wood furniture polishing is crucial if you want to keep your furniture pieces looking their best. Getting the best polish suited for your needs is not easy if you don’t know what to look for. We hope this article helped your process!
While all the polishes listed here all work great in their right, check out the Guardsman 461100 polish for wood furniture with UV protection. It leaves no oily residue behind, has no silicone, leaves a pleasant woodland scent behind, and works great overall.