Out of all of the surfaces in your home or office, wood is probably the one that raises the most concerns in terms of proper care.
Using the wrong product to clean wood furniture can ruin its finish and damage it. So what do you think about something a little bit extravagant – orange oil. You probably didn’t expect that, did you? 😀
Let’s check where, how and what are the benefits of using orange oil on wood furniture.
IN THIS ARTICLE:
What Is Orange Oil?
Orange oil is an all-natural product derived from cold pressing orange peels. This means it doesn’t contain harmful chemicals like most other cleaners. Orange essential oil is extracted from the rind of the sweet orange (Citrus Sinensis) by using cold pressing.
This is the main reason orange oil is safe on wood, as it means there is nothing in it to compromise the wood’s finish.
Essential Oils
- The concentrated oils are derived from plants. Several types of oils are produced from citrus species (orange, lemon and grapefruit).
Orange oil is great as a wood cleaner, polisher and conditioner. Thanks to limonene, its ingredient, it’s safe for cleaning wood without damaging its finish.
Benefits Of Orange Oil For Wood
All wood has natural oils that dry off in a period of time. But once these oils dry, the wood starts cracking. Oils retain in the wood for a long time even after all moisture in it has dried off. Over the years, these oils dry off and it’s essential for you to replenish them.
That’s why people use natural oil finishes.
This citrus oil will surprise you with many useful features, so there are some of them:
- It can be effective at stopping the growth of some types of bacteria and fungi
- It is a natural product, which means it doesn’t contain harmful chemicals
- Helps to polish wood finishes and brings back their original luster
- Forms a protective layer on top of the wood
- Helps to prevent dust build-up
- Provides natural, fresh, clean scent
- It helps to cut through grease and grime buildup
- A non-toxic way to destroy termites
Cons Of Orange Oil
Unfortunately, this beautiful oil has some downsides. It doesn’t protect the wood from moisture like other oils. Orange oil cannot be used as a finish, but conditioner only. It doesn’t dry to a film finish and it isn’t food safe and shouldn’t be consumed.
Applying Orange Oil to Wood
Before you apply orange oil on wood polish, check if there are any watermarks – these look like white spots or beverage rings where a glass or something else sat.
If there are watermarks, use a full-fat mayonnaise on spot and rub gently. It will pull moisture out. Leave for at least 15 minutes and when the water spot is gone, use wood polish.
Shake the bottle of orange oil well before each use. Then spray on the wood surface or onto a lint-free cloth for light polishing. Wipe with a cleaning cloth until the surface is dry and shiny.
It is great at cutting through grease and dirt on wood furniture, so you can use it to remove years of build-up grime. Also, when done cleaning, you can count on enjoying a nice orange scent. How heavenly.
As with any cleaner, spot test in an inconspicuous area before using it to make sure that it works well for your wooden furniture.
- Bonus Tip:Â Always rub in the direction of the wood grain. You should see great results immediately.
Where You Can Use it?
This oil can be used on unsealed wood because it will also replenish its natural oils. It is mostly used for kitchen wood – cabinets, countertops and vents. Also, you can use it on floors.
If you own antique furniture, you don’t have to worry, it’s safe to use orange oil. It is less harsh than natural lemon oil which isn’t recommended for too old furniture.
Where To Purchase An Orange Oil?
Orange oil can be purchased online or at a store that sells natural products. So if you want to make sure you’re buying good quality orange oil, follow these guidelines – check the product label for the scientific name (Citrus sinensis) and choose dark bottles (oils can be damaged by sunlight).
Best Orange Oil Product
Instead of natural oil, you can also purchase an orange oil cleaner. Here we’ll mention two orange oil products that are worth buying – Orange Oil Cleaner For Wood and Green Gobler Cold Pressed Orange Oil.
Orange Oil Cleaner For Wood By Howard – Use it to dust, polish and condition all wood surfaces including kitchen cabinets, tables, chairs, desks, etc. It is suitable for finished and unfinished wood surfaces and brings out the natural beauty of the wood grain. This oil doesn’t contain silicone.
Green Gobler Cold Pressed Orange Oil – It’s cold-pressed oil, which preserves its degreasing qualities providing you a powerful cleaning product. It’s an all-purpose cleaner that can be used on metal, glass, granite, porcelain, rubber, plastic and more.
Can You Make Your Own Orange Oil?
Often, store-bought wood polishes and cleaners can dull furniture over time and leave a haze on the wood surface.
This is because many of them contain silicone and every time you clean with silicone-based products, you actually add another layer over the furniture. And over time, all dust and dirt get trapped in these silicone layers and a haze builds up, dulling the furniture’s finish.
So, you can make your own orange oil furniture polish. It can be safely used and your wooden furniture will become more beautiful with each use. And it couldn’t be simpler to make. Follow this recipe.
Add olive oil and vinegar to the glass spray bottle.
Add 10 drops of orange essential oil.
Shake well before each use. Apply to a microfiber cloth and wipe wood surfaces clean. Repeat every 2-3 months or as often as needed.
Ingredients
Directions
Add olive oil and vinegar to the glass spray bottle.
Add 10 drops of orange essential oil.
Shake well before each use. Apply to a microfiber cloth and wipe wood surfaces clean. Repeat every 2-3 months or as often as needed.
If you want to customize this recipe, you can do this: if you add more olive oil it will make the wood polish more lubricating and shiny.
More vinegar improves cleaning ability, but too much vinegar will leave a sharp scent.
Lastly, more orange essential oil will improve cleaning, but it’s a more expensive variant.
To Wrap It Up
Orange oil is a great way to clean off heavy stains on your wooden surfaces. Where other chemical products might damage the furniture finish, this oil will preserve it. Thanks to its conditioning and polishing properties, orange oil will clean and bring the luster back to the previous wood finish.
