The Best Way to Remove Sticky Grime, Oil, Dirt, and Grease from Wood Tables Without Removing the Finish

If you own wooden tables, then you know how difficult it can be to remove sticky grime, oil, dirt, and grease from the finish of the table. You want to make sure that you are only using cleaning products that are safe to use on your furniture and that won’t harm the finish of your tables when removing those stubborn marks. Here are some simple steps on how to remove sticky grime, oil, dirt, and grease from wood tables without damaging the finish on the wood.

You will need the following:

Hot water, a dish rag or sponge that you don’t care about anymore (wash it first), dry towel for drying the table off. Mix up the water/vinegar solution in a bowl large enough so you can dip your sponge in there. The mixture of hot water and vinegar will give you that great cleaning power that you need to clean very sticky wood table. Then just lay it on your table; let it sit for at least 10 minutes before lifting it off. Don’t worry about soaking through the finish since we won’t be using any chemicals anyway; hot water is what we want for cleaning sticky grime, oil, dirt, and grease from wood tables without removing the finish.

Step 1: Prepare

Protect your work area with paper towels. Make sure there is enough ventilation. Prepare a spray bottle filled with water and one teaspoon of liquid dish detergent or Murphy’s oil soap. Protect the wood finish on the table by covering it with plastic wrap or newspaper. Make sure you protect yourself by wearing rubber gloves, safety glasses, and possibly a respirator.

Step 2: Soak in warm water

Before you try any of these solutions, it’s important that your table is clean—if not, cleaning products won’t penetrate. Soak a sponge or rag with warm water and wipe down your wood table until all of the grime has loosened. Then let it dry completely. If any scum still remains on your table (or if you have stubborn stains), move on to step three for more help.

Step 3: Scrape off grime

First, you will want to scrape off as much of that dirt, grime, and oil as possible. The easiest way to do so is by using a plastic card like a credit card or gift card. Make sure you choose a plastic card because paper cards can cause damage if left too long in contact with wood. Once you have scraped off as much of it as possible, wipe down your table with a clean cloth.

Step 4: Wash & dry

Cleaning wood tables with super sticky grime or grease can be a bit of a challenge. Before you start cleaning sticky stuff on wood table, you’ll want to make sure your table is clean before you put anything else on it. Washing will also help soften up any gunk that has been sitting for a while so that it’s easier to remove.

Conclusion

Most products that promise to clean grime off of wood are made with harsh chemicals. These can strip away your table’s finish or damage it. When attempting to remove sticky stuff from a wooden table, stick it with vinegar. Vinegar is mild enough for everyday use on wood tables and has been known since antiquity as a powerful disinfectant and cleaner. Infiniterounds provide more information about how you can clean very sticky wood table using simple tips.