How to clean wooden doors
When we dedicate ourselves to doing a thorough cleaning of our home, one of the elements of the house that can generate the most doubts as to what is the correct way to maintain it and keep it clean may be the doors. Generally, a good door is usually made of wood. This is one of the most coveted materials in the manufacture of domestic furniture such as chairs, tables or shelves. But, in the case of doors, even more so since they are capable of insulating sounds and the weather itself.
It is not the same to have a door that borders another room as one that borders the exterior of the house, since in the latter the inclement weather can be more damaging. However, even so, keeping them clean can prevent the appearance of fungi, the weakening of the material and promote its useful life. Depending on whether it is varnished or not, the care changes and that is why in this new FoxWiki article we are going to delve into how to clean wooden doors.
Topics Covered in This Article
How to clean unvarnished wooden doors?
Some people prefer the doors of their house to be unvarnished so that they have a more resistant and rough appearance. In order to keep them as robust as the first day and with the betas and shapes intact, you must follow these cleaning steps:
- Removes excess dust and dirt: Without using any product, just with a dry cloth or duster, take care of removing all traces of lint and dust on the surface.
- Clean and remove marks: With a soft cloth or sponge, so as not to scratch the surface, rub the door with a solution of warm water and special soap for wood to remove any traces of marks that may exist. You can also resort to mixing ammonia and water or even olive oil and white vinegar to remove more localized stains. When you’re done, make sure to remove any remaining water and product.
- Polishes the wood: Once clean, to give it a cleaner tone and appearance, apply some type of polish or natural oil, such as almond oil, and spread it with vigorous movements with a cloth over the entire surface so that the wood is shiny and shiny.
How to clean varnished wooden doors?
If you have decided to use a coat of varnish to protect the wood of your doors, the way to clean them will be a little easier. You will only have to follow the following steps:
- Remove any remains: With a duster or a damp cloth, make sure to remove all traces of dust to prevent them from scratching the varnish when cleaning in depth.
- Disinfect the entire door: With a special soap for doors, mixed with a tablespoon of white vinegar, you are going to soak a cleaning cloth and go over all the areas so that all the marks that have been left on the layer of varnish can be removed. You must do it carefully and without rubbing too much so as not to damage the surface layer.
- Polishes the varnish: Then, with a cloth as fine as possible, apply a little wood polishing product and carefully massage the door to restore its shiny appearance. When the product has taken effect, make sure it is dried with a clean cloth.
Additionally, if you want to improve the varnishing of this door, we recommend reading these steps and tips on How to varnish a wooden door.
More tips for cleaning wooden doors
In addition to the different specific products for cleaning wood such as soaps or polishes, one of the most basic resources is neutral soap. However, there are several natural mixtures that also work very well for these cases:
- White vinegar and neutral soap: one of the most odorless and simple formulas, ideal for removing traces of moisture and mold and to prevent fungus from appearing on the wood. Here you can learn more tips on How to clean with white vinegar.
- Ammonia and water: Mixing ammonia with water is a mixture that is a little stronger than vinegar and soap, but very effective in removing embedded stains.
- Egg whites and ammonia: very useful for providing moisture and hydration to wooden surfaces dried out over time.
- Mayonnaise: If you have localized stains on the wood, you can apply a little mayonnaise on top and apply it with a soft cloth to remove it.
- Bottle cork: If the stain has just occurred and is still wet, you can rub a cork from the bottle caps to absorb all the remains and then clean them as normal.
Mistakes to avoid when cleaning wooden doors
Just as important as knowing the ways to clean wooden doors is being clear about how not to worsen or harm this noble material. These are some mistakes to avoid:
- Clean them first in the house: If we leave them clean and then clean the rest of the house, all the mites and bacteria will stick to their surfaces again.
- Just use the duster: With the duster you only achieve superficial cleaning. It should be cleaned thoroughly at least every 15 days.
- Not drying them well: It is very important to dry them well and ensure that there are no traces left as the dirt could stick and they will get dirty again faster, leaving traces of moisture that damage the wood.
Now that you know more about how to clean wooden doors, we recommend you read this other article about How to clean wooden furniture. Also, if you want to know how to clean doors made of other materials, we encourage you to read this other post about How to clean lacquered doors.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to clean wooden doors we recommend that you enter our Home Cleaning category.
