The Dangers of Furniture Polish

While commercial furniture polish is remarkably easy to use and leaves a pleasant sheen, it may be creating problems down the road. One ingredient in particular, that seems to be common to almost all polishes, makes it difficult to repair a finish or refinish a wooden surface when the finish is damaged beyond repair. And it does little to care for the wood beyond enhancing its appearance. It seems that an ancient technology -- paste waste -- is still the best way to care for finished wood.

Artists: Blue Topaz
Song: Made it Carrolton

[WorkshopCompanion]

Furniture polish is amazing stuff, leaving your wooden surfaces clean and shiny with just a few swipes of a dusting cloth. But it can also create problems, particularly if you need to repair or restore a finish. In some cases, it may even ruin a finish!

Most furniture polishes contain some form of silicone, a polymer made of chains of silicon and oxygen atoms. The list of ingredients on the can may not actually call it silicone; it could also be listed as
* Dimethicone,
* Cyclemethicone,
* Dimethycone Copolyol,
* Trimethylsilylamodimethicone,
* or Amodicmethicone.

Look for the “cone” somewhere in an otherwise unpronounceable word. All these forms of silicone can soak though finishes and deep into the wood, especially where the finish is thin, worn, or cracked. Once in the wood, they can interfere with your every attempt to repair or restore the finish. They are especially incompatible with water-based stains and finishes.

You can try to dissolve them – several strong solvents such as industrial-strength isoproprol alcohol, toluol and MEK will break silicones down. But it may take multiple applications, and these are not biologically or environmentally friendly chemicals. The sale of toluol has even been banned in some locations. You might also try sanding them away, but you’ll often find you have to remove a lot of wood. These silicones soak in deep. Most times, you'll need to apply a wash coat of dewaxed shellac to chemically insulate the silicone before you can apply another finish.

It is also possible that a furniture polish may actually remove a finish or thin it out after multiple applications. This is especially true of polishes that are scented with citrus oils. Lemon, lime, and orange oils can contain limonene, which acts as a solvent. It can dissolve, discolor, cloud, otherwise damage a finish. Shellac and lacquers are especially susceptible.

The sad truth is that even though furniture polish is remarkably easy to use, it may not be good for a finished wood surface. The best way to care for wooden furniture remains an older technology -- paste wax. The proper application of wax is more time-intensive than polish; you must apply a thin coat, wait for It to “dry” – that is for most of the solvent to evaporate, leaving behind the wax, then “buff” it out. Buffing removes most of the wax you just applied, and leaves behind a thin, shiny coat just a few molecules thick. It can be a lot of work.

But wax won’t contaminate the wood. Should you need to remove it to repair a finish, it can be easily dissolved with a mild solvent such as mineral spirits or naphtha. And it has the added advantage of restoring and revitalizing the wood in several ways:
* Moisture regulation, by sealing the surface and preventing excessive drying or absorption that can lead to warping, checking and cracking.
* Conditioning, by penetrating the wood fibers, keeping them supple, and preventing them from becoming brittle.
* Protection, creating a barrier that reduces wear and tear. Some waxes even provide UV protection, keeping a finish from fading or becoming discolored.
* Enhanced appearance, by highlighting the wood's color and grain patterns.

[thefattertheratter]

"Always heed the woodworker who has all his fingers."

[justinharvie]

These videos are like a HD modern version of PBS informational shows from back in the day. Love this guy and his videos.

[MattParkent]

I did install for a custom cabinet shop for a decade. I talked to our finisher about this very thing. He said the residue buildup is annoying, but if you do your finish right, it won't soak through the finish. He said since all our work is commercial/industrial that he had to proof it against morons. He had a 12 step process on everything he did. Guy was a finisher for over 37 years. I've seen the stuff he did 20 years later and the finish is still as good as the day it was installed.

[dillpicklefig]

I'm a woman in trades. I do monument and other outdoor public art conservation, so most of my work is masonry and metalworks. However, sometimes I do need to work with wood. My supervisor is a cool older guy with decades of knowledge but is a terrible teacher so he gets frustrated with me easily since I can't understand what he's trying to explain. You make everything so simple to digest and I really appreciate what you're doing!!

[Olive-oilien]

Love this. No sales pitch just a man sharing his love of woodworking and trying to preserve what’s out there.

[stoneagealienz]

It's amazing how people who work with wood are genuinely the sweetest people. Every single time.

[JNelson_]

i have no interest in doing carpentry but videos like this are what makes youtube great, its so enjoyable to have someone skilled in their craft teach about it

[TrillMurray]

This guy is like the Bob Ross of wood working lol I could put on his videos to fall asleep to. Plus he's a great teacher

[Anstieguber]

When I bought my solid acacia dining furniture the sales woman recommended a wax and an oil to maintain it. I have to set aside several hours over two days a couple times a year to refresh it, but after watching this video I’m so glad I listened to her and didnt reach for the spray!

[denniswalker]

I remember my childhood well, polishing the furniture with paste wax. Knowing no different, I also used it once only on my father’s car, including the windows. The dripping mess created was another shock to him of my creative ways to err, learning by my mistakes and his approval withheld, i.e. his disapproval, so nuanced that I always got the message.

[michaellavery]

I like this guy. No nonsense, straight to the point with rational explanations.
You just know it's sensible time when you see him.

[BureauSpicy]

I've literally used every bit of advice I've seen from this guy. The fact that he explains why and not just what makes all the difference 👌

[jjcooks]

Asked a question, answered it, presented the problem with the answer, offered a better solution and explained why it’s better. Great video.

[babydahl]

This randomly showed up on my shorts and i have been scrolling through just his shorts for a while now. He makes me think of an educational show for kids but for adults. I saw someone say PBS and that's so spot on. I dont even do woodworking and i am enchanted!

[batbee]

This Guy + Traditional Japanese Woodworking Master = Arc of the Carvenant

[WelshDragon]

This explains so much as to why some of the jobs I had with staining would turn out not nearly as good as others

[Ddvgh]

Not a wasted word, clear and concise delivery, firm yet inviting and encouraging voice, excellent visual demonstrations, this is the textbook definition of quality content.

This right here is a momentary glimpse into what youtube and the internet as a whole were intended to be, and I believe that should serve as inspiration to many more people to follow in this man’s footsteps and create out of passion for the craft and for teaching a beloved skill.

[ceneblock]

This is way more useful to me than to say not to use furniture polish.

When someone says don't do something, my gut instinct is to immediately ask why.

[dombo]

This channel is really doing a great job to prepare me to maintain the kinds of nice furniture I'll never be able to afford.