Do you know if your wood is varnished? Here's how to tell (and clean it accordingly)

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Wood furniture can be beautiful and elegant. However, keeping it clean is sometimes a mystery. Melissa Maker of YouTube channel, Clean My Space, says "the less you do to your wood furniture, the better it is for the furniture." For laminate, use a microfiber cloth and water to wipe down the surface. When cleaning unfinished wood, simply use a dry microfiber cloth.
Instead of using store-bought furniture polish to bring out the shine in dull wood, make your own! Pour one part vinegar and three parts olive oil into a spray bottle. Spray onto the furniture and use a soft cotton cloth and apply using a buffing motion. Maker warns against polishing too often. She is also a major advocate of preventative maintenance. This means cleaning up spills immediately, using coasters, and keeping wood furniture away form heat.
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Additional wood cleaning tips come from News Times, which recommends using shoe polish or a felt-tip marker in a matching color to touch-up scratches and chips. To remove the ring left from a coffee mug, place a cloth or towel over the spot and then iron it carefully at a medium setting. Check your progress every 10- 20 seconds. The ring should eventually disappear.
Better Homes and Gardens says to clean a grimy wood surface, use a solution made from oil, dish soap, and water. Rinse and dry well. Using your own home solution will avoid the accidental application of boiled linseed oil, turpentine, or white vinegar, all of which are known to darken wood and attract dust and lint.
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Resources Clean My Space, News Times, and BHG
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