How to Wax Wood Furniture

Don Williams of the Smithsonian Institution offers some advice

Mark Lund

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Make sure the surface is clean and not flaking. (If it’s flaking, that’s a job for a professional.)

Always work in a well-lit, well- ventilated area; wear protective latex or vinyl gloves; and use clean, lint-free rags for applying and buffing the wax. (Worn flannel shirts and cotton T-shirts are perfect.)

Fold your rag into a tight square or bunch it into a wad to make sure loose ends don’t snag on anything.

Saturate the rag with paste wax, but don’t use so much that you can see clumps — applying wax too liberally will create a dull finish.

Gently rub the rag over the surface of the furniture until it is coated with a thin layer of semisolid wax.

Let the wax dry completely. Then vigorously rub the surface with a clean buffing cloth until it has an even sheen.

Written by Adam Bluestein

December 2006

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