Reuse Old Tea Bags To Clean And Polish Old Wood Furniture

Breathing new life into your old wooden furniture can be tricky business, especially if you want a natural solution that doesn't damage your valuable keepsakes. Whether it's an antique find or a family heirloom, it's important to know how to clean and protect your wood furniture without risking its longevity. With this home staple, you can easily revitalize those old wooden pieces, tackling decades of dirt and grime build up. And all you need are a few used tea bags to get yourself started.

Old tea bags might seem like an odd solution for your wood restorations but it is proven to be an effective method of cleaning just about any kind of wood. It's less about the tea bags and more the tea itself. Black tea is especially high in tannin, a naturally-occurring compound that is responsible for its dark color. This can make them the ideal pick for a natural-looking wood stain for any home project. But that same acid can be highly effective at removing old wood polish that has built up on your antique furniture. Black tea cuts away at grease and dirt that tends to build up on old wood polish, giving your pieces a fresh new shine. And because it is a natural solution, it is safe around children and pets without damaging your goods. The next time you brew yourself a cup of tea, save a little extra — your heirloom furniture will thank you later.

To really get at grease and grime on your wooden furniture, you're going to want to remove old coats of polish from the surface. For this, all you need are around two to four tea bags and a microfiber cloth. Bring a pot of water to a boil and pop in your tea bags. Allow them to steep in the water until it cools. You can resteep back tea bags two to four times, but note that the amount of tannins released will decrease after each steep. Once it has cooled, dip your cloth in the tea and wring it out. You want the cloth to be damp but not soaked. Rub the cloth across the surface of your wooden furniture but be sure that you aren't completely dousing your piece in tea water. This infusion remove layers of wood polish that tend to trap dirt and grime, giving your antiques a beautiful shine. If you want to continue to protect your pieces, give them another layer of wood polish to really bring out those vibrant stains.

Black tea is not only effective in stripping old wood polish but it has a number of uses on your woodworking projects as well. It can be the perfect all-natural stain option when redoing your cabinets or building a new piece of furniture, providing a warm golden color to most wood types. Tea is also an effective cleaning agent on almost any kind of wood, not just your furniture. For a natural cleaning solution on your floors, try using black tea to give your wood floors a shimmer like no other.