No matter how up to date we are when it comes to cleaning the house, with the rhythm of daily life and all the activities with which we create a routine, it is not easy to reach every corner of our house and there are always areas, furniture or objects that are neglected more because the dirt that accumulates on them is not as obvious as on others and is not as obvious.
It’s hard to avoid using the daily broom and mop on the kitchen floor or keep the bathrooms spotless, but it’s not so complicated that you forget to thoroughly dust the most furniture. hidden or the upper parts of certain shelves; have the bottom of beds or sofas like jets of gold; all the cupboards are well organized and without the slightest trace of dirt; the switches in all the rooms without a single stain or – which is the case here – the frames of our doors clean and shiny, as if they had just left the factory or workshop where they were molded.
That’s why it’s so important to know how to organize yourself well and dedicate time from time to time to those parts of the house that we don’t usually pay as much attention to in our daily lives. In this article, we will review the best tips for cleaning the doors of rooms in the house.
The truth is that wooden doors are a classic that never goes out of style and that give a very elegant touch to the rooms of the house. They are also very versatile and combine with different styles. To keep them shiny and their color intact, you just need to give them a little attention and revise them from time to time.
If your doors are made of natural wood, we will tell you what to do to keep them looking new:
- The main characteristic of natural wood is that it is very porous. And therefore sensitive to the products we apply to them. We cannot use strong and abrasive detergents. In this case, the remedy may be worse than the disease, since it may leave dark or whitish spots that we will not be able to remove later.
- The first step we will follow will be to remove the dust from the door and frame with a feather duster.
- Next, we will make a mixture of ammonia and water that we will gently pass through the doors, always in the direction of the grain of the wood.
- To give it shine, once dry, we can use a special product to polish the wood or a natural wax that matches the tone of the wood of our doors.
- Another great ally for making our doors shine is linseed oil, obtained from flax seeds. It is ideal for nourishing wood and creates a layer on our furniture that protects it from dirt and dust for longer. It protects the wood from sun and humidity, prevents cracks and can even be used to repair small scratches.
Varnished or lacquered doors
If your doors are made of varnished or lacquered wood, we will also give you some tips for cleaning them:
- In this case, you will have to be careful not to damage the varnished or lacquered layer of the doors.
- To do this, and just as we would do with natural wood doors, we will remove the dust with a feather duster.
- Now we are going to make a mixture of water (75 ml) and cleaning vinegar (25 ml) and we are going to spray it on the door(s).
- With a microfiber cloth we will clean the dirt, always following the direction of the grain of the wood.
- With this method we will help soften and remove grease stains and it will also serve to eliminate bacteria.
- To make this type of door shine we will still use linseed oil, which is very effective. If you don’t have any at home, but have a bottle of olive oil, this is also a very good option. Dampen a cloth and spread it over the entire surface.
Very dirty doors
You may have neglected cleaning your doors for a long time, or you may have just moved and they need a deep cleaning. Well, don’t worry, all is not lost. We’ll give you a tip:
- Mix three tablespoons of baking soda with a few drops of lemon, five will be enough, and a little detergent or liquid soap.
- With a semi-damp cloth and this solution, we will clean the doors by gently rubbing the most persistent stains.
- You can also apply active oxygen to a cloth and wipe it over the entire door. This will help remove stains while giving it shine.
- If you have young children at home and they have already thought about painting the doors with a pen, we tell you that there is a solution – also valid for certain enamels and inks –: moisten a cotton ball with alcohol and rub the stain.
Mistakes to avoid
Now that you know what you need to do, we will tell you what you should never do to avoid damaging your wooden doors:
- We have already warned you, but we insist, it is very important to gently dust the door or wooden furniture that you are going to clean before wiping it with a cloth; This way you will avoid scratching the surface.
- For the same reason, once the dust has been removed, use soft cloths, a good option being those made of microfiber.
- Once the door is cleaned, remember to dry it well to remove any traces of moisture.
- We told you that active oxygen can be a good option to remove persistent stains, but we can only use it if our doors are varnished or lacquered, never on natural wood doors, as it could damage them.
