Making your own furniture dusting and polishing wipes is so easy, you won't even believe it! And chances are you've got all of the ingredients in your cupboards already.
Did you know that those lemony furniture sprays really aren't all that good for your furniture? It's true, sadly. I used those for years before I wised up.
All you need to dust and polish furniture is a little water, olive oil and vinegar. I take it a little further by including essential oils because they smell so nice. But that's really all it takes to keep wood looking beautiful.
DIY Citrus Olive Oil Dust Wipes
A few years ago we finally purchased "grown-up" furniture. I scoured Craigslist for weeks looking for the perfect round dining table—a mid-century one that would extend to accommodate our family but still fit nicely in our breakfast nook.
I found it, but it came as a set with a hutch. I honestly hadn't thought much about buying a big piece of furniture. I figured I could sell it.
Little did I know I would fall head over heels for the hutch (the table...not so much). It turns out taking care of MCM furniture can be a bit of a hassle, unless you do it the right way. And that really goes for all wooden furniture.
As an antique lover, I appreciate that these homemade furniture wipes help me maintain my furniture without damaging it. The vinegar and water work to clean, while the oil conditions the wood.
You don't want too much oil or liquid on the cloths—just damp enough to remove dust and polish without leaving a greasy film. Here's how easy the wipes are to make:
But first, can I tell you how much I adore flour sack towels? I've stocked up my kitchen and laundry room (where I keep my cleaning supplies) with dozens of them.
I like these extra large ones, pictured above, from Target. A 4-pack of towels is about $4-5, so they are budget friendly as well.
I like to use flour sack towels for just about everything, but they are especially perfect as dust wipes. The towels get softer the more they are used and washed, and they don't hold too much liquid or take up too much space.
Plus, they keep nicely in a large lidded jar. The jars with swing tops are a personal favorite.
Combine the liquids in a spray bottle. You'll need to shake the bottle vigorously because the oil does separate.
Dampen each cloth by spritzing well so they are fairly damp but not dripping wet. Remember to keep shaking the bottle as you go. You'll be able to see a light yellow color on the towels from the olive oil, and they should feel slightly oily but not greasy.
Roll up the towels and place in the jar. Repeat until there are no towels left.
Depending on the size and quantity of towels you use, you may need to mix up a little extra polishing liquid, or you may have extra. One batch of the liquid should be enough to make two batches of the wipes if you use four extra large flour sack towels cut into quarters.
These will keep for several months in a cool place. Simply throw the used wipes into the laundry and repeat the process above.
If you're interested in taking your newfound love of homemade cleaning wipes to the next level, it's easy to make your own DIY reusable disinfectant wipes as well.
DIY Dust Wipes FAQ
What makes wet cloths better than dry cloths for dusting?
A wet cloth can be more effective than a dry cloth for dusting because liquid helps to bond dust to the surface of the cloth. This way, dust particles stick to the damp surface of the wet cloth instead of dispersing.
Can I use a different mix of essential oils to make my own dust wipes?
Yes! While we love the classic citrus scent of these DIY dust wipes, you can customize your scent mix with other essential oils for green cleaning. Peppermint essential oil has antibacterial and antifungal properties, which makes it ideal for natural cleaning. Tea tree oil also boasts antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties.
Can I use another kind of cloth to make these wipes if I don't have any flour sack towels?
If you're looking for a zero waste cleaning option, you can make reusable wipes with an old t-shirt instead, which is a great way to use a tee you no longer wear.
How long can I store these wipes and where should I keep them?
These wipes will keep for several months as long as you store them in a cool place and keep them sealed between uses. Once you've used all of your DIY furniture wipes, don't forget that you can simply toss used wipes in the laundry and reuse them by repeating the process described here.
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DIY Citrus Olive Oil Dust Wipes
Equipment
- Gallon glass jar or plastic tupperware container
Materials
- 3 cups filtered water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 10 drops lemon essential oil
- 10 drops orange essential oil
- 10 drops lavender essential oil
- 4 extra-large flour sack towels cut into quarters
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well.
- Generously spray each flour sack square until lightly damp but not dripping wet. Shake the bottle well between each cloth so the oil will be evenly distributed on each cloth.
- Fold or roll the cloth pieces and place them in a jar or other container with tight-fitting lid, preferably glass or plastic, not metal.
- Use for dusting and polishing wood furniture.
