How to Polish a Wood Table

Clean Your Table

• 1

  Dip an old, clean rag into some mineral spirits and clean your wood table of grime.

• 2

  Apply mineral spirits on the table, using 0000 steel wool to remove the dirt if you have an old table or a table with a heavy build-up of grime.

• 3

  Clean your table using soapy water and another clean rag. Make soapy water with one capful of dishwashing detergent for each pint of water. Using mineral spirits followed by water to clean your wood table removes water-based and oil-based build-up of dirt.

• 4

  Rinse the table using a cloth dampened with plain water, then dry the table right away with another soft, lint-free cloth.

Polish with Wax

• 5

  Select paste wax in the same color as your wood table. Neutral or natural-colored waxes look better on light wood, since the wax dries dry to an off-white color. Use dark-colored waxes on dark wood.

• 6

  Place a chunk of wax in the middle of a soft cloth, wrap the cloth ends over the wax, then apply the wax to your table. Work on one area of the wood table at a time. The cloth wrapped over the wax helps you apply the wax evenly. Use paste wax made of beeswax or a vegetable-based paraffin. This polish type does not appear waxy over time.

• 7

  Buff the wax when you see the wax begin to get hazy. Buff along the wood grain of the table using a soft cloth until you get a high, glossy shine. Polish your wood table with wax once or twice each year.

Use Furniture Polish

• 8

  Pour some polish on a soft cloth, then wipe the cloth on the surface of your clean wood table. You can also put a little polish on the table's surface, then wipe the polish using a cloth.

• 9

  Spray a spray furniture polish onto a soft cloth, then polish your wood table with the cloth. This keeps spray marks from appearing on your table.

• 10

  Wipe the polish off of your table using another soft cloth.