What Kind of Polish Do I Get for a Cherry Oak Crib?

Tung Oil

• Tung oil is a product of pressing the seeds of a Tung tree. The oil dries to a clear film, perfect for finishing wood surfaces and safe for children's furniture. If you apply the oil to the wood of a cherry and oak crib, the wood will still feel like wood, with some of the grain slightly raised. After you brush the oil on, let it sit for15 minutes and then wipe off the excess. Once it dries for a couple of hours, you simply rough it slightly with fine steel wool and repeat the process until you like the quality of the dried surface.

Beeswax

• Beeswax is a good polish for wood, like cherry and oak, that already has a durable finish coating the surface. The wax fills in the scratches and irregularities in the wood. Then after it dries, you buff until the crib has a smooth soft shine. Culinary beeswax made for butcher-block kitchen counter tops is suitable for a crib since it is nontoxic and safe for any toddlers chewing habits.

Furniture Polish

• Furniture polish is a mixture of petroleum distillates and oils. The aerosols contain even more chemicals since the mixture needs to stay fluid enough to spray. After you spray the furniture polish on the crib, the distillates will evaporate into the room as the oils dry. According to the EPA, these substances may irritate your skin, eyes and respiratory tract and you must read the warnings on the labels. This is not the type of product normally recommended for a baby’s furniture.

Olive Oil

• Olive oil is another alternative for polishing wood furniture in a child’s room. Some recipes for making furniture polish with olive oil include equal parts of white vinegar or lemon juice to aid in cleaning the wood as you polish. The olive oil moisturizes the wood and dissolves any greasy fingerprints. As the oil dries, it coats the surface of the wood with a thin barrier. If the crib already had a shiny finish, the oil may leave a hazy finish that you need to buff a little longer. Olive oil is a safe finish for children's furniture.