You've bought a jar of our 'Wood Preserves' (formerly Wood Wax) and you have a wooden item you'd like to rejuvenate with a fresh coat of oil due to wear, harsh cleaning or whatever other reason. You've come to the right place. Follow the simple step-by-step guide below.
Step 1
Use either a non woven applicator pad or a cotton cloth (don't worry about fuzz or thread from the rag) dip your pad or cloth in and get a somewhat thin layer of Wood Preserves on (a little goes a long way). It's very similar to fruit jelly.
Step 2
Start rubbing the wooden item in circular motions. Your goal here is to cover the entire surface and get the oil into any nooks and crannies in the wood. I like to reverse the direction of my circles for the extra assurance I've thoroughly covered everything. A thin layer of coverage is all you need! You are not making a 'coating' like polyurethane or similar so you don't need to attempt to layer it on. If any of the wood immediately drinks the finish you can apply more but once even a very thin layer is sitting on the surface that's sufficient. The consistency of the wax helps keep it thin.
Using a light and creating glare on the surface can help to see the oil on the wood and coverage to make sure you've gotten the oil everywhere.
Step 3
After you've covered the surface, use a light as mentioned in the last step to ensure you've covered 100% of the surface. When you are confident you've been successful, set the wooden item aside where it can rest undisturbed for 30-60 minutes. Out of direct sunlight is best.
Step 4
Once the item has sat for the time period, using a terry cloth (an absorbent cotton towel, commonly available) wipe away all excess oil until the surface feels dry to the touch. I like to do as many wiping strokes as necessary and then using a clean side of the cloth or a fresh cloth, buffing by hand in a circular motion to help ensure I've removed excess oil.
That's it! You've successfully refinished/finished your piece. The last and final step is setting the piece aside for at least 3 days for the oil to cure before being able to interact with water or any heavy use. Buff with a clean, dry towel once per day for the first 3 days.
Step 5
As mentioned in the last step you should set the item aside and out of sunlight for at least 3 days. Longer doesn't hurt. Over the first 3 days though, take a clean dry towel and buff for a few minutes the entire surface at least once each day. As the remainder of the citrus evaporates, the oil and waxes will dry. The waxes, thanks to our formula, stay relatively evenly dispersed. However, the additional buffing will disperse and clear the uneven wax as it dries.
It's an important last step. Without it, you may end up with hard to remove cloudy patches (the waxes take quite a bit of heat to get moving and dispersed again) and reduced service life of the finish. Please email with any issues or questions.