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How to Clean Wooden Chairs That Stick to You

Wooden chairs are useful around dining room tables and as occasional chairs. Sometimes buildup of liquids, wax, sticky foods and other debris causes the chair to stick to your clothing or skin. Cleaning wood chairs requires only a few basic supplies and little time or effort. The cleaning leaves an attractive luster and sheen on the wood surface. Wood chairs can last for decades if given the proper care.

Things You'll Need

  • Rubber gloves
  • Plastic bucket
  • Gum turpentine -- 2 tablespoons
  • Boiled linseed oil -- 4 tablespoons
  • Soft, lint-free cleaning cloth
  • Apple cider vinegar and sweet oil (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Put on rubber gloves. The water temperature should be quite hot to clean the wood effectively.

    • 2

      Pour one gallon of very hot water into a plastic bucket.

    • 3

      Add 2 tablespoons of gum turpentine and 4 tablespoons of linseed oil to the hot water.

    • 4

      Place your cleaning cloth into the mixture in the bucket. Squeeze the solution out of the cloth.

    • 5

      Wipe off all the wood surfaces of the chair. You may have to rub firmly in heavily soiled areas. Use a clean area of the cloth if a section becomes soiled. The turpentine and hot water combination effectively cleans the sticky debris from the wood surface. The linseed oil restores the shine.

    • 6

      Use another clean cloth to wipe the chair dry and then buff it to restore the shine. Polish or wax the surface if desired.