Is The Secret To Saving Wooden Thrift Finds A Bottle Of Silver Cleaner?

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From furniture pieces to beautiful salad bowls, there are all kinds of wooden gems hiding at the thrift store. Even wood items with scratches and a lack of shine can be valuable finds, if you know how to restore them. While there are some tried and true methods of restoring and cleaning wood, it's always fun to find an unexpected hack that can save you time and effort. That said, if you're looking for a secret ingredient that'll amp up tired wood furniture and dishware, then silver polish is not it. Although some DIYers have tried to fix damaged wood pieces with silver cream polish, it's not the recommended method. Some silver polish/cleaner brands contain harsh chemicals or acids that can do more harm than good to a wood surface. Additionally, there are so many proven, wood-safe alternatives that it just doesn't make sense to go out of your way to use silver polish.

For wooden dishes specifically, it's always recommended to use a food-safe cleaner like Clapham's Beeswax All-Natural Food-Safe Salad Bowl Finish, for example. By sticking to a natural, food-safe option, you never have to worry about accidentally ingesting silver cleaner which can be deadly. So save your silver polish for the silverware and explore some better go-to cleaning substitutes that will get the job done.

Ultimately, using silver cleaner for wood just doesn't make sense, but don't worry, there are tons of alternative ways to bring new life to your wooden treasures.  For timber furniture and dishware that's scratched or dull, you should start by lightly wiping the surface with a damp cloth to remove dirt and debris. Then, spot treat any stains on the wood using a bit of lemon and a pinch of salt. Next, gently sand the piece. For deeper cracks, a bit of wood glue will help. After you have a sanded, smooth surface again, add a protective coating. For food-related wooden items, a tiny bit of hemp oil works well. For furniture pieces, apply your preferred wood finish followed by a thin layer of furniture wax to finish it off.

If you have your heart set on trying something different than the products that are specifically made for saving wooden thrift finds, then you may want to use mayonnaise to clean your wood furniture instead. Mayonnaise is natural, safe to use, and known to remove cloudy water stains from wood pieces. It can even help fill in small scratches on your wood.