Clean And Brighten Dull Wood Paneling With Ingredients Already In Your Kitchen

Wood paneling has a unique appeal to it, and if used right, it can make your home feel incredibly cozy and inviting. Wood paneling is coming back in style with a vengeance and can provide a great look to just about any room of the home. However, if you have wood paneling, you may have noticed that it can get dull over time. While a polished finish does a pretty good job of hiding it, dust, dirt, and grime will build up, so you'll need to take steps to clean the wood on a regular basis. You especially need to take care to clean it properly if you're planning on painting your wood paneling.

You may think that cleaning wood panels will be tricky, but it's a much simpler process than you might expect. You don't need anything special to clean this wood except for some common household ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen. White vinegar and olive oil are a winning combination that will do a great job of cleaning and brightening wood panels and making them look their best. This homemade cleaner can be used to dust while also cleaning and nourishing the wood.

Cleaning wood panels with vinegar and olive oil

While this homemade cleaner can help dust your wood panels, it's not a bad idea to give them a dry dusting with a soft cloth before you use it. A feather duster or a microfiber cloth can be helpful for this task. Once you're ready to clean the wood panels with vinegar and olive oil, you'll need to mix equal amounts together. Then, you'll want to add an equal amount of warm water to match that. You can then grab a rag and lightly scrub the panels until they look cleaner and brighter. Regardless of the type of wood you use for wood paneling, make sure to wipe carefully and remove any cleaning solution you add as quickly as you can. Aim to go with the grain while cleaning.

After applying the solution and scrubbing it with a rag, go over it again with a fresh microfiber cloth and water. Finally, use a dry cloth to remove all remaining moisture. Remember that you should clean your wood panels often enough if you want them to stay in great shape. Ideally, clean them about every two weeks to ensure that they kept looking pristine as time goes on. If the wood panels are located in the kitchen or another area of the home where they could collect residue more quickly, they may need to be cleaned even more often.