Petroleum-Free Wood Polish | Fabulous Farm Girl

I don’t know about you but I don’t like petroleum, except for the kind I put in my car. I really don’t like that stuff either, since it’s pricey and non-sustainable, but unfortunately my car won’t move without it. I certainly don’t want petroleum in my food (I’m talking to you, mineral oil), my beauty products (that would be you, petroleum jelly) or my household cleaners (stand up, petroleum distillates). I’ve replaced all store-bought cleaners with my Cleaning Cabinet Makeover and have been thrilled with the results. But I recently discovered a petroleum stowaway in the form of wood polish. How did I miss that?

It was easy to overlook wood polish since polishing wood isn’t something most people do very often. By the looks of my son’s bedside table, I hadn’t done it in years. He runs a diffuser with essential oils in it almost every night to help him sleep. It definitely works and he sleeps great, but the moisture from the diffuser has not been so kind to the table.

This wood salve is really simple to make and even easier if you make it in the container you’ll be storing it in. I used this half pint wide mouth mason jar. It’s super squatty and perfect for scooping out the wood salve. Just fill up the jar with the beeswax, put it in a shallow pan filled with water and bring to a boil. Once the beeswax melts remove from heat and add the coconut oil. Wait for the mixture to cool slightly before adding the essential oil of your choice. I used lemon but white fir or another woodsy EO would be nice too.

Once it completely cools your ready to use it. Use a clean white cloth to scoop out the wood polish and rub a light coat all over the surface. Once covered, leave the room for a bit and go find some some laundry to do or a sitcom to watch. When you come back, just wipe the surface down to remove any remaining residue.

Now stand back and be amazed. I couldn’t believe how much better the table looked. The before and after pictures do not do it justice. You only want to use this polish every few months to avoid any wax build up. For regular dusting try my All-Natural Furniture Spray.
There is nothing better than getting new furniture except, maybe, making old furniture look new again. On to the next table!

Petroleum-Free Wood Polish
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp. extra-virgin coconut oil
2 tbsp. beeswax pastilles
15 drops essential oil of your choice

Place beeswax pastilles in a 1/2 pint wide mouth mason jar. Place in a shallow pan filled with water, enough to reach about halfway up the mason jar. Bring water to a slow boil until beeswax is completely melted. Remove from heat. Add coconut oil and stir until melted. Allow mixture to cool a few minutes then add essential oil. Let cool for several hours before use.
To use–Use a clean white cloth to apply a thin layer of wood polish all over wood surface. Rub in a circular motion for a few minutes. Let stand for 20-30 minutes then wipe down surface with another clean white cloth to remove any remaining residue.

Note: If you get any of this wood polish on your skin, just rub it in. It’s not just great for moisturizing wood, it’s great for moisturizing your skin too.

Another Note: If you want a great skin salve go here.

Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply