It works a little differently in protecting wood in that it soaks in more it also leaves a shiny rather than glossy finish. Keep updating your article like that, I am eagerly waiting for something like that more.Your article helps me a lot in making homemade furniture polish.Thanks a lot. If the wood is to be used to serve food, then its important to make sure the oil is food grade. It is extracted from the leaves of a palm tree which flourishes in Brazil. If you want to know how to apply beeswax to furniture using one of these recipes, simply buff onto a wooden surface with a clean cotton cloth. We hope our ramblings might be of interest too, Neve's Bees. Yes, to be consistent with the other recipes we should indeed change it to ml thank you Actually, its fine to use either really though, because some people like to weigh the ingredients on a scale, taring between the addition of each ingredient. Hi Tanya Hi Pia! U actually used fresh lard for this rather than olive oil because a neighbour gave me her recipe! The appearance of wood polished with wax only changes slightly. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. He said that hed not been sure whether it would work or not, so theyd tried it and some of the other entries on the base of one of the trophies to see which came up best. I just wanted to let you know that I entered this polish in our local honey show. If you have a lot of scratches, they will require buffing out and then waxing. Thanks so much. What a great idea. 2. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Browse ideas for growing a beautiful garden filled with useful plants, soapmaking ideas, and ways to create a natural plant-based home. Im going to follow this recipe. Its probably best used on natural wood finishes Im unsure on how it would do over paint. I can almost picture your piano, baby rattle, and home what a lovely description youve left of you making the polish and rushing around the house shining up your wooden pieces :) So pleased to have helped with the recipe and thank you so much for the descriptive message and feedback. Wipe across the wood surface with light strokes going with the grain of the wood. Most types also contain petrochemicals and other solvents, like turpentine2, that can get eaten accidentally (little ones) or evaporate into the air. You can make a double boiler by floating a saucepan inside another pan filled with hot water. I am about to make my second batch. Its actually better to use Grapefruit Seed Extract in my opinion. Hazelnut oil is a lovely long-lasting oil but is likely to be problematic for people with nut allergies. If you have difficulty in mixing, heat slightly. Easy Beeswax Lotion Recipe- {One Pan Method}, Beeswax Candle Molds {How to Choose the Best}. Whats good for the skin can sometimes be good for nourishing wood :). We have kept bees for a couple of years now in the mountains of Serbia and are fortunate enough to be able to produce virgin honey (no chemicals within 12m radius) and first made some foot cream trying to help my eczema problem. Some of them also make great gifts when you need a small thank-you present. Melt the beeswax using a double boiler. To answer your question, grapefruit E.O. Do not use a circular motion -go with the wood grain. It needs to be massaged in, left to set for a few hours, and the excess fully removed. I use a similar concoction (just beeswax and olive oil) as lipsalve! Vit C? Thanks Pat and please tell the Farmer that I'm really pleased that he's enjoying the soap :D. I have some beeswax and was wondering what to do with it so this might be an option since you gave such good instructions!I haven't got the soap that you sent yet, maybe the government thinks it is plastic explosives or something and are running tests on it. The aroma of the grapeseed oil is also less intrusive than the olive oil. It will keep until the closest best by date of the ingredients you use probably the best by date of the olive oil. When you make your own furniture polish, you know what is in the finished product. It does not alter the appearance of the wood or leave a fake, commercial finish. Whilst Turps and Linseed oil are less dense than water (and so one ml is less than 1g) the quantities in all these old recipes tend to be a little vague anyway and its really your personal preference as to the consistency you like. 3. This is a natural furniture polish recipe though, and mineral oil is not natural its a petroleum product. Hope this helps to clarify :). Remove the small pot with ingredients from the heat source. Hi Laura, and if the candles are 100% beeswax with no added ingredients, then yes you can :). To learn more about my journey to becoming the first female Master Beekeeper in my state? to read more articles like this, get special offers and find out about new products. Hi Tanya, what about Avocado Oil as an antioxidant additive. Your email address will not be published. An anti-oxidant will help stop that from happening and ensure that your polish continues to smell like rich honey-scented beeswax. I use beeswax and olive oil to make herbal salves, why not furniture polish! I wonder if this wax can be used on leather of my salon. I don't use the method I posted ages ago any longer since I found an easier way. Well I dont actually have a mantle piece , just a bookcase, but it sounds better. Julie, Your email address will not be published. Hi Tanya, I was wondering if you could give me some advice on the natural beeswax furniture polish. )and of course you follow the grain as much as possible. Your email address will not be published. Let dry for a few minutes (or up to about 15 minutes for the turps polish) and then re-apply or buff off any leftovers . You'll need to melt and clean your comb before you make this recipe though. Traditional Liquid beeswax furniture polish. Carnauba wax give great hardness with a high gloss finish. I use it on the leather seats of my dining room chairs. Hi Tanya, what are you using as an antioxidant? Weve put together a series of different recipes for how to make Beeswax Polish so if you want to know how to make furniture polish or how you make leather polish, we hope you find one here that suits your needs! There are many recipes for making your own beeswax polish. GSE is better in my opinion than vitamin e because its more consistent in strength. Very Solid furniture polish for use in wood turning or lathes. Maks an excellent lip balm as well as a wood and leather polish. It makes a fab furniture polish with an amazing smell, but is toxic to the skin when neat and the polish can melt plastic, so make sure to use metal or glass containers to store it. Allow to cool. I use it in making handmade beauty products but its perfect for wood furniture polish too. We are also affiliates for other reputable companies and may earn a commission from sales resulting from a link. Wood this work on raw pine wood paneling, and it would also be behind a woodstoveso would it melt? I have organic beeswax candles. I pre-warm glass jars to hold my beeswax furniture polish. -2022. The open flame will certainly ignite the turpentine and bees wax mixture. I made a stocking toy for my grandson, and want to finish it with something like this. 4:1 Four parts soft oil and 1 part hard beeswax is the most common. If you close them, condensation will form inside the lids and moisture might get into your beeswax furniture polish. I think the turpentine would be a good ingredient for wood polish as its a natural oil that comes from wood. It is so safe to use that you can use it on cutting boards too. I think it would be preferable to use the more natural turps if you can get it? Learn more about bees and using products from the hive! If youd like to know how to make beeswax wood polish The traditional polish (like your grandad might have used!) Great polish Tanya. The beeswax candles worked perfectly! One question, do you leave the beeswax to set with the lids open, or do you close/seal them? Lets start with some of the basics. Look on the back of your own individual product. They help keep other oils from going rancid and are optional in this recipe. Making your own natural beeswax wood polish is a great way to avoid questionable chemicals in your home. In our basic recipe above, you can use a mixture of oils (including lanolin and tallow if you like) and lavender oil is a lovely scent for leather polish. I actually feel as though I am doing it a favour and sort of healing it after all the scratches and cigarette burns and being knocked about. You could use lavender oil etc instead, they are surprisingly similar in chemical structure. Once the beeswax is melted, slowly stir in the olive oil. Please select all the ways you would like to hear from us. Please advice. I certainly didnt have a problem with the oil becoming rancid because over the last 3 months I have used up the whole amount I made. Thank you so much for all that you teach me about eco-friendly living. Bring new life to your wood furniture by making beeswax furniture polish at home. I did a bit of googling and it seems some people do use white spirit but others say it can dry the wood out. If you ever change your mind, you can easily unsubscribe and leave the hive any time you like. I agree :) Shining up the furniture is like putting the icing on the cake after a bout of spring cleaning. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Suffice it to say that the olive oil polish won first prize! The next most important item is the babys rattle which has been passed down from older son to younger and then to grandchild, who has grown now. 4. I havent been as gentle since my sons were babies. Have you tried using Mafura Butter combined with Olive oil as a natural wood polish. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Makes about 3-2/3 cups, * Use up to 900g to make a creamier polish. Place both the beeswax and the olive oil into a double boiler such as demonstrated in the image below. Beautiful results on the wood, it looks lovely. 5. It works wonderful! Heat the double boiler/pans on medium heat until the beeswax is melted. Read More DIY Citronella Candles [with Beeswax]Continue, Read More Easy Beeswax Lotion Recipe- {One Pan Method}Continue, Read More Make Beeswax Candles with Dried FlowersContinue, Read More How to Make Beeswax Lotion BarsContinue, Read More Beeswax Candle Molds {How to Choose the Best}Continue. Yes, in most cases, natural beeswax polish works well over other stains and varnishes. Personally, I would not put either of these chemicals on something from which I would eat. Worked very well. We can use beeswax in many different ways around the home. Most people prefer to apply light coats of wax more often. Shipping to the states takes AGESI swear they must put all the parcels in little bottles and then fling them out into the Atlantic. My friend made one and gave it to me as a gift and I absolutely love it. Hi Richard, the amount of essential oil is very low in this recipe so that it doesnt overpower the scent of the beeswax. It also polishes and seals the surface to protect it from stains etc. Lovely stuff! As per our basic recipe above simply mix the ingredients together in a heatproof jug over water, or a bain marie, and then, when thoroughly melted and mixed, pour into containers to set, 3. Thankfully, bees can make a lot more wax than they need. Beeswax polish is often used as the final step in a furniture refinishing project. And I accidentally (forgot to label and had it in the bathroom cupboard ?) You dont have to use commercial furniture polish that contains well who knows what? Its a fragrance rather than an antioxidant. Hi Tanya, For reference, 370g of Briwax costs 12.99, so proportionally that would be a street value (now I feel like a coke dealer) of around 17.50 so about one third of the price. It can take two to three weeks sometimes. I have followed your instructions and recipe to the letter and Ive even doubled the amount of essential oils but the scent will just not come out. However, if your items are really dusty or dirty take the time to clean the furniture first. All the best Julie, Can I use baby oil with beeswax on a chopping board? It could be quite dangerous to heat this with the double broiler method on the stove top. What about a general furniture polishfound a recipe for that yet??? Regards paula, Hi Paula Thanks for your message I would use a ratio of approx 1:3 Beewax to Linseed Oil (i.e. I do believe no-one has cared so much for it before me. Optional 10 drops of Vitamin E oil (Wheatgerm oil) or rosemary which act as antioxidants and extend the life of the oil. This time, I am going to split it with a friend who has a wonderful wood beam mantel that will look stunning after a couple of coats. I wish I could post before and after shots here. Do you think it would work if I melted the beeswax in a slow cooker then added the olive oil & turned it off, instead of using the double boiler method? Id put all the oils in together though rather than adding the olive oil after. We have long been asked whether we sell our beeswax and this year, we have started to sell our pure, unrefined beeswax online with free delivery, its easy to buy and perfect for making any of these recipes. The method of making all these recipes is pretty much the same youre basically melting them together, giving them a good mix then pouring them into containers to allow them to set. I know some medicines should not be taken with grapefruit products- e.g warfarin for anti coagulants, and although it is not being added for oral use in this case, it can be easily absorbed through the skin when being used as a polish, so Vitamin E or alpha tocopherol, which is the active anti-oxidant, would be better so I would suggest you remove Grape seed extract from your formula to be safe. My daughter plays hockey and her hands get reallly dry. Some of them use turpentine and others suggest a variety of oils to combine with the wax. Just one question would PUre Grapefruit Oil work, rather than Grapefruit Seed Extract Oil? I picked a lovely rich golden wax to work with and I think the results are more than comparable with the popular brand, plus since I know the source of both wax and olive oil, I can legitimately call it GM-free and organic. For this very simple recipe we use just a few ingredients. However, you could use up to a full teaspoon of e.o. There is no need to spend more money than is necessary on olive oil. Animal Oils these can be great for leather polish and include Lanolin (sheep grease) or tallow (beef fat), Non-food grade oils non-food grade linseed oil (boiled and chemically treated to make it last longer), mineral oils (derived from petroleum), 45g oil (olive oil, Hazelnut oil, linseed oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil all work well some products even use avocado oil!). Affiliate links to Amazon or any other company do not cost you anything. Required fields are marked *. Traditional Solid beeswax furniture polish. I used to work at a place that extracted turpentine and pine oil from waste from the paper industry. To make solid wood polish for wood turning, its the same basic method as before but carnauba wax melts at a far higher temperature so youll need to heat it more. Affiliate Disclosure Policy Carolina Honeybees, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As for storing, keep it in the same cupboard as your other cleaning products. Julie, I was looking for a bees wax polish and this came up thank you great help, Thank you, Andrew so glad it was useful for you We searched long and hard and put together the best old recipes we had with some of our learnings along the way! Hi Tanya, I tried this polish and it is wonderful! This recipe is simply a mixture of beeswax and a suitable solvent. When dissolved and well mixed, pour into the storage jars. Sometimes people ask how to use solid beeswax on wood this is possible (especially if using a lathe to soften the wax) but beeswax by itself is very hard so an easier way to apply beeswax to wood is to follow one of these homemade beeswax polish recipes. We could become famous! But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Beeswax is a natural wax that is produced by honey bees. Animal waxes of which beeswax is the most familiar, Mineral wax including paraffin, a by-product of petroleum. The rich homemade polish will last for a long time when stored in the refrigerator. Warning turpentine and it's vapor is quite flamible. It would be fine for that purpose Maureen and would not melt since youd wipe any excess polish off the wood. Now I have made this wonderful polish and am thrilled with the results Thanks again much appreciated from the foothills of the Valjevo Mountains in Serbia! 1. We do not want any dirt in our finished polish as it may scratch your nice wood surface. Mix the beeswax and solvent as described above. ** If youre making this as a gift and using glass jars you might want to warm your jars before pouring the hot oils into them. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. You want your oils heated indirectly and evenly in this way because its safer for you and helps maintain the integrity of the ingredients. As soon as we came back in after judging, the show judge came over to me and asked what Id put in it as hed not recognised the smell. Glad to make your online acquaintance Chris :). The advantage of using beeswax polish is that it provides a warm glow to the surface. Can I use them for the wax in making the furniture polish? Made this earlier and it has brought my new table up a treat, it arrived a little dry tried various ils but nothing made it shine and water repellant, this has worked a treat used sandalwood but think next time will add a slight citrus note to lift it slightly .thanks for all the wonderful recipes just a quick question why does your in text suppliers links go to american sites would love to know where you buy your materials x. Hello. As per our basic recipe for how to make beeswax polish, put all the ingredients in a bain marie or heatproof just and heat gently over water until dissolved. Her mission is spreading awareness of the importance of honey bees. The less solvent used, the more stiff the mixture. Weve always used the natural turps to make polish. Works a treat, and no nasty chemicals. Extremely dangerous if your stove as gas. I have precious little grapeseed extract left till I can get to market and I use it in my fruit and veg cleaner. So sad there aren't any bees in it though :(. You probably already have them on hand. Another recipe adding soap and pine oil can give a far more liquid cream product with a distinctive aroma. to make 60g of polish, use around 15g beeswax and 45g oil) and perhaps add a few drops- 10 20 (about 0.5 1g) of essential oils if you want a fragrance My experience is that this is more an art than a science and some people prefer a harder polish, others a softer polish so you could play with this recipe a bit to get the consistency thats right for you. 2. Food grade oils such as olive oil, coconut oil, hazelnut oil, food grade linseed oil. You may already have them in your kitchen. However, many of these products are flammable and turps is not very nice if you get it on your skin so do be careful! Kind Regards Steve Newton, Hi Steve Thanks for your question Baby Oil is normally a mixture of liquid paraffin (one of the products from petrol refining) and Isopropyl Palmitate a thickening agent which blocks the skin. Best to stick with the stronger anti-oxidants. ** Allow to cool for at least two hours into a semi-hard balm consistency. Hi there, thanks for sharing this! Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. I dont use mineral oil on wood so am unsure. All are very different! *It is safe for most types of wood but always test on a small inconspicuous area first. You can even make your own moisturizing spoon butter. Can't wait to give it a go! Hope this helps. Thanks for your blog, it is good to know that there are a growing number of us out there changing the way we interact with the earthno chemicals down the drain! This basic tutorial only requires 2 ingredients: beeswax and olive oil. By way my maiden name is Walton, from England ! Hi John Thanks for your comment well spotted! This simple beeswax furniture polish recipe is an inexpensive way to protect all your wood surfaces. Beeswax wax melts are easy to make and help freshen the air. Does grapefruit essential oil have the same anti-oxidant property as grapefruit seed extract? I have two colonies of honeybees and every year during the honey harvest I get a beeswax harvest too. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Depending on how it is applied, the polish may clean and protect wood for several years. Could this be used on toddler toys? Have a wonderful day! Though it may have antioxidant properties that make it as an oil last longer, it wont have much of an effect on other oils. Put the 45g oil and beeswax in a bain marie (or a pyrex / metal jug in a pan of boiling water) and heat it gently, stirring occasionally until the beeswax melts (this will take about 5 -10 minutes). If you'd like more info on that please let me know. You can wipe excess polish off immediately or leave it on for a couple of hours. I don't even know where you can buy it though! Products such as beeswax, or oils such as apricot kernel or olive oil (or even perhaps lanolin from sheeps wool) would be far more likely to absorb and nourish the wood. That gives more time for the oils to permeate the wood. See full disclosure policy on Privacy Page. Learn more about the Lovely Greens book and sign up for the FREE newsletter! Let it set for a few minutes and then buff off the excess. How long will it last in a jar and where is the ideal place to keep it? Lol. The house is filled with old pieces of wooden knicks and knacks and I am still polishing ! Read my privacy and affiliate disclosure policy for more info. If you want to make more, simply increase the materials proportionately i.e. They are the best and I feel quite assured to use them. Beeswax has been used to make polish for hundreds of years and can be used to enhance and protect many products made from wood or leather wooden furniture, chopping boards, bowls or utensils; leather bags, shoes, furniture or clothing. However, you can add a few drops of lemon essential oil or similar fragrance if you wish. Dissolve the soap in the warm water in one pan, put the shaved wax into the turpentine in jug over warm water (or bain marie) and warm gently until the wax is thoroughly melted and dissolved. I prefer to use net weight when creating my recipes. Please select all the ways you would like to hear from Neve's Bees: We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. 4. This removes any bits of dirt, wax or propolis that may still be present. Hope this helps! Hi Tanya, I think Ive seen the same kind of wood polish done with beeswax and linseed oil instead of olive oil? Beeswax polish must be applied by hand which is time consuming. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here. We love to use this recipe for dry skin. Stir thoroughly and pour into containers. Your wooden items have come up beautifully. Is there a particular reason for using olive oil, especially as you say it can go rancid after a while? Of course you were right. :). Hi Tanya, Bees use the wax to construct their comb and provide storage for food and young bees. Cool until hardened and at room temperature, then seal the pots with a lid :). Tanya, some people will react to Grapeseed extract. Theres a chance that boiling water will splash into your oils. Ingredients that might cause immediate reactions or possibly long-term health issues. Lets start with the base recipe you can use this for a variety of things furniture, shoes, bags etc., then well have a look at some variations you can have a play with: This will make around 60g of polish about enough to fill a standard sized shoe polish tin. Thank you for taking the time to advise. In this recipe, I use just two main ingredients, beeswax, and olive oil, and make it in less than thirty minutes. Using excess polish does not work better and only wastes your product. Apply a small amount of beeswax polish to your wood using a clean cloth or rag. It takes a couple of hours to cool but can be used immediately after. Dont apply too thick. This is not necessary but it prolongs the shelf life of the oils in the finished furniture polish. Make sure both mixtures are around the same temperature, then pour the soap mixture into the turpentine, stirring with a wooden stick. Want to learn more about bees? They all work well and the one you choose may depend on what you already have. Enjoy your 100% natural and toxin-free polish ~ your furniture certainly will. Pour into containers. Im on a mission to find more natural replacements for conventional household cleaners and a furniture polish would come in handy. Pour the mixture into any type of container you wish to use. Traditional Liquid Cream Polish with Pine Oil. All of these recipes are basically a mixture of wax and oil, some include water and emulsifiers (to mix the water with the oil). 2022 Carolina Honeybees, LLC - All Rights Reserved. One ingredient that I have on hand and know is pure and natural is beeswax. Unfortunately I don't tend to have much wood so this one I won't be trying out. I really cant understand it. You can just leave the GSE out though if you dont have it on hand. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Can I substitute white spirit for turpentine to polish wood? Hi, this is Beekeeper Charlotte Welcome to my site. All rights reserved 2021 Another top tip to get more a creamy feel to your polish follow the recipes in the post but allow the polish to start to set in the jug or bowl. Thanks! No thanks. It takes elbow grease ( in danish-knuckle grease ! Though beeswax lasts years without going rancid, olive oil can eventually go rancid. If youre using linseed oil, make sure its raw, food grade oil (not boiled and chemically treated as the chemicals they use are normally toxic for humans). Ive seen some products use jojoba, sandalwood and avocado oil! Hi Tanya, Im wondering which would work better grapefruit seed oil or vitamin E oil as a preservative? Its similar to the skin salve recipes I share. Jon. Hi Tanya after making my move to the country, well a tiny village (not a single store for 6km) I finally got to polishing my old old mahogany piano with ebony and ivory keys (shame..) , more than 100 yrs old and really it has seen some days. Mind you, I used only 100g of beeswax (3.50) and two cups a little under half a litre of olive oil (2) and it still produced about 500g of wax at a total cost of 5.50. Buff it to a sheen afterward and youll be delighted with how gorgeous the wood looks. I used grapeseed instead of olive oil on my first batch but hubby used that batch up in a week and is asking for more, and I have plenty of olive oil, just no grapefruit seed extract or Vita E. Love this recipe! This is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin harvested from living trees. The funny thing about this recipe is that I created it in response to the polish recipe at my own local honey show. Hi Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. Be sure to get high quality Vitamin E if you do use it many that are on offer are so diluted that they are not effective as an antioxidant. Thanks. Beehives are not harmed by responsible wax harvesting. Stirring it will help speed things up but dont be tempted to turn your heat up too high. If a person is known to have pre-existing reactions to citrus fruits and GSE then of course Vitamin E is another option. But thats okay as it is inexpensive to make. to make double this, use 30g beeswax (two of our little hexagons), 90g oil and 20 40 drops of essential oil etc. So thank you for that :), Amazing! On the National Library of Medicines website1, furniture polish poisoning varies from dizziness and vomiting to skin burning and irritation.