Why treat wooden furniture with walnut oil?

Furniture made from natural wood usually indicates the wealth and good taste of the owner of the house. It fits perfectly into any interior and lasts for decades if you care for it properly. Those who prefer to use exclusively natural substances in their home choose walnut oil as a means for caring for wooden furniture.

Walnut oil for wood impregnation

In order to maintain the respectable appearance of wooden products for as long as possible, care must be taken to timely impregnate the external surfaces with protective moisturizing compounds. An excellent natural remedy is a mixture of nut butter and beeswax that you can make at home.

Treatment with such impregnation will provide many advantages:

• will provide the wooden surface with silkiness and matte shine;
• will emphasize the natural structure of wood;
• will allow the material to breathe;
• will protect the wood from cracking, scratches, dirt, moisture and mold.

The impregnation is prepared as follows:

1. Pour 50 ml of oil into a metal container and place on low heat.
2. Add 100 g of beeswax and continue to heat the mixture until the wax begins to melt. While heating, stir the contents of the pan lightly.
3. As soon as the wax is completely dissolved and a thick, homogeneous mass is obtained, the container is removed from the heat - the impregnation is ready.

This product does not have to be prepared every time you need to treat a furniture surface. It stores well for several years, but the mixture will need to be reheated before the next use.

Before applying the impregnation, the wooden surface is thoroughly cleaned of dust and other contaminants with a dry flannel cloth. To prevent the greasy composition from getting on surrounding objects or the floor, they are covered with plastic wrap.

To apply the composition, it is better to use a soft brush with fine bristles, which will allow the grease to penetrate deep into the wood.

The interior item treated in this way must dry. Usually 12–15 hours are enough for this.

Walnut for scratches

The oil and iodine contained in walnuts perfectly mask minor abrasions and scratches that appear on a wooden surface. To eliminate these flaws and return the furniture to a respectable appearance, you can use walnut kernels in their most natural form. This method is most effective for products made from light wood.

There are two known ways:

• The nut is freed from the shell and, with circular movements, pressing the kernel tightly to the wooden surface, rub the scratch along the entire length. After 10–15 minutes, the nut oil will be completely absorbed into the wood fibers, they will swell and the scratch will heal. Now you can polish the surface with a soft, dry cloth.
• The kernels of 5-6 walnuts are poured onto a cotton napkin, which is tied in a knot so that the contents do not spill. The nuts are crushed using a pestle or the handle of a knife, which releases oil and saturates the napkin. The furniture is rubbed with a cloth soaked in grease and then polished with a dry cloth.

So, having just a few nuts on hand, you can rid the surface of minor scratches and restore the shine and cleanliness of wooden interior items.

Treatment of internal surfaces

Not only the external, but also the internal surfaces of wooden furniture need care. Shelves and drawers in a closet or buffet should be periodically treated with moisturizers, such as walnut oil. This product is supported by the fact that walnuts do not leave such an unpleasant odor as many special formulations.

Internal surfaces are not treated too often. This is a rather labor-intensive process, and besides, sunlight does not get inside the boxes - the wood dries out less there.

Before starting processing, the furniture is disassembled if possible: shelves and drawers are pulled out and dusted off. If necessary, remove stubborn dirt with sandpaper.

Apply a layer of oil, and after a few minutes remove the excess with a clean, dry cloth.

Typically, internal surfaces are treated once, but if you want to apply the product again, this can only be done after 12 hours, when the first layer has dried. It is better to assemble a bedside table or cabinet after a few days, when the oil layer has completely dried and the smell has dissipated.

So, in order for wooden furniture to always remain beautiful and serve for many years, it must be properly cared for. To do this, you can use walnut oil - a natural product that moisturizes wood.