Pledge is an all-purpose cleaner to remove the dust and dirt off the surfaces of furniture. It gives furniture a shiny and fresh look but also causes wax build-up.
How to Remove Pledge From Wood Furniture? You can remove pledge from wood furniture with the help of some household items like vinegar, mineral spirits, degreasing dish soaps, a mixture of oil and soap, and cream of tartar. Moreover, you can use tea bags in hot water and essential oils as an alternative to the pledge for cleaning and polishing your wood items.
The wooden furniture needs to handle with care, and you better be aware of the products you are using.
What is pledge furniture polish made of?
Pledge is used as a furniture polisher and moisturizer, which is made up of water, corrosion inhibitor, polysorbate: an emulsifier, and silicon-based components like dimethicone.
Moreover, it also includes a pH adjuster, thickening agents, and preservatives. It creates a coating of silicon over the table, which leads to dullness.
Methods to remove Pledge from the wood furniture
Products like pledge can give a temporary shine and glow to wooden furniture, but they can damage it. You can remove it from wooden items with the help of effective methods.
Vinegar and hot water
Vinegar is a common household item present in every kitchen for cooking purposes. However, vinegar is more than just a cooking ingredient.
It works like a cleaning agent for disinfecting surfaces like sofas and kitchen slabs. Moreover, it helps remove sticky things from the wooden surface.
Add 1 cup of vinegar to the 1 gallon of water to remove the pledge from the furniture. You better use diluted solution instead of concentrated as it can damage the surface.
Take a clean microfiber towel, dip it into the solution, and rub it on the wood. However, you can spray the solution over the surface and let it sit there for some time.
Clean the surface of the table with a neat cloth and rub it to remove the pledge from it. This solution helps maintain the finishing of the wood.
Mineral spirits
Mineral spirit is a liquid with no color, and it is derived from petroleum. Its paint thinning quality makes the texture more visible.
The thinning of the paint removes the layers of grease and makes the lines and grains of the wood clear for cleaning the dust and dirt trapped in it.
However, it is used to remove the thick layer of the wax coat build-up due to the pledge. It is volatile in nature, so be careful not to use it near a fire.
Apply it over the furniture if vinegar was not effective enough against the waxy layer and let it stay there. Take a dampened cloth to wipe it off the surface.
Degreasing dish soap
Degreasing dish soap is a useful and cheap product to remove pledge, dust, and dirt. In addition, it helps remove grease and film of silicone efficiently.
Make a foamy solution of dish soap and water to throw it over the table surface. item.
This solution will soften the layers of silicon, and it gets easier to remove the greasy surface caused by it.
However, avoid letting it stay for a long time as a liquid is not suitable for wood because it can make it wet, and its quality will be affected.
Oil and soap
Oil and soap with water effectively remove the furniture’s pledge. This is because the oil, water, and soap mix well, as soap binds its hydrophilic side to water and hydrophobic side.
Moreover, this solution can be used as a multipurpose cleanser for cleaning wood surfaces and bathroom faucets. Apply this solution to the affected surface.
The oil in this solution grabs the dirt and dust while the mixture of soap and water soften the silicone.
Lemon essential oil
Lemon has citric acid, which helps in removing the waxy layer of pledge polished over the furniture, but it can be harsh and damage the wood.
However, lemon essential oil enhances the shine and freshness of the table. This is because it goes deep into the layers restoring its oil and preventing it from drying out.
Make a solution by adding 15 drops of lemon essential oil with 1/3 cup vinegar and 1/3 cup olive oil.
Add this mixture to a spray bottle and shower it over the wood furniture. Rinse it with a scrubbing towel and remove the dust and dirt along with the pledge.
Cream of Tartar with vinegar
Cream of tartar is a natural abrasive to scrape off the stubborn waxy layers from furniture and painted walls.
Furthermore, this product is available everywhere and is cheap but an excellent cleaner.
Make a solution of 1 and a half cups of vinegar with 1 and a half tbsp of cream of tartar and mix it well.
Apply this mixture on the surfaces to remove the build-up of wax and silicon to avoid dullness.
Why would you remove the pledge from wooden furniture?
Pledge is a cleaner and polisher based on silicone for adding shine to wood furniture. Moreover, the silicon layer starts to give it a dull and cloudy appearance throughout continuous use.
It also attracts more dust and dirt particles, which cannot be rinsed off if you use it repeatedly. The dust gets trapped in the wood and starts to fade, causing it to lose its shine.
Furthermore, it can change the original appearance if your table has a semi-matte finish, as it can turn it into a glossy surface and almost vanish its texture.
The silicon layer creates problems when you try to renovate or repair your table, as it will not let the application of any other product stay.
Things you can use instead of Pledge on wooden furniture
Here are some useful things that you can use instead of applying pledge on your wooden furniture.
These are available at every grocery store. You can use these items for polishing.
Tea bags in boiled water
Tea bags, mainly black tea, have been used as a disinfectant in ancient times to sweep wood floors and furniture.
Moreover, black tea contains an acid called tannic acid, which makes them an effective cleaning agent.
Boil water with 7 to 8 tea bags and pour it into a bucket or bowl. Take a clean microfiber towel and dip it in the tea water.
Start cleaning its surface in a circular motion with the help of tea water which can prevent greasiness and dust.
Olive oil
You can make your own wooden furniture polish which will not build any layer of silicon or wax on it. Moreover, it also helps in giving a shine and fresh fragrance to these items.
The mixture of olive oil and vinegar with the essential oil of your choice, such as lemon, tea tree, and lavender oil, can work perfectly.
You can choose any suitable oil to remove dirt, as they will give the same results.
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