The Best Way To Clean High Gloss Furniture
2nd Mar 2022Posted by Alice Ewens on 2nd Mar 2022
Wondering what the best way to clean high-gloss furniture is? We’ve got you covered with our definitive list of tips!
Furniture is what we do, what we know and what we love. Our high-gloss furniture range is our best-selling and we know a thing or two about looking after it. So, we’ve got our top tips, advice and hacks down in one place.
Why We Love High Gloss Furniture!
Whether you’ve opted for one of our white, black, grey or marble-effect pieces, high-gloss finishes are crisp and sleek. It’s a popular style because it’s fresh and modern, plus it’s easy to keep clean. We’re all for furniture that looks great and is easy to keep that way around here!
The Best Ways To Clean High Gloss Furniture
Be Gentle!
The number one tip for cleaning anything high gloss is: BE GENTLE! You shouldn’t scour, scrub or scrape at high-gloss pieces because they are a veneered surface that could be damaged by doing so. A soft, dry cloth should be all you need for daily wipe-downs. Don’t use those sponges with the green scrubby stuff on them, either!
Dry spills and water immediately!
You can use a damp cloth with a dash of washing up liquid to cut through any dirt or grease – use a soft sponge and then immediately dry off with a soft towel. Don’t use a dripping-wet cloth/sponge; wring it out well first. And avoid leaving liquids of any kind (whether you’re cleaning, or in the event of an accidental spill) to stand on high-gloss surfaces.
Avoid going in circles!
Using up-and-down movements rather than circular movements with your sponges, cloths and soft pads will help avoid streaks or any accidental scratches.
Kayla's Top Tip: For a gorgeous streak-free buff on high-gloss surfaces, you can use a micro-fibre polish-applicator pad for cars!
Our Fave Tips!
You can use a spritz of furniture polish, but only a few times a year.
You can give your gloss surfaces an extra boost for shine once every 3 months or so by using a light dusting of furniture polish. Wipe off quickly after application using a soft cloth, sponge or pad, using straight movements rather than circular. You only need to do this a few times a year, as your surfaces really won’t need it, and you could over-polish, resulting in damage to the glossy veneer. Always do a patch test with any cleaning products on an inconspicuous spot first!
Try to avoid placing high gloss near windows to avoid dust.
If you can, avoid placing your high-gloss pieces close to windows as dust does like to accumulate near windows (it’s the draft and the light!). Keeping a table or unit further from windows will help combat the dreaded dust!
Other Things to Consider for Cleaning High Gloss Furniture
Consider a glass table topper!
It will add an extra little protective barrier while still getting to enjoy the bright, crisp look of the high-gloss surface beneath. You can use glass cleaners and the Hinch-favourite of white vinegar to keep the glass topper sparkling.
Laura's Top Tip: I love Koh cleaning products and use it on my high-gloss pieces!
For Other High-Gloss Pieces – TV Stands, coffee tables, shelving etc.
Avoid putting things that get hot directly onto high gloss surfaces!
Avoid putting appliances directly on high-gloss surfaces as the heat from consoles etc. could damage the gloss. Use a mat or other protective layer between any consoles, laptops or TV devices that get a bit hot.
Alice's Top Tip: For getting pen off of high-gloss surfaces, a little zap of hairspray will sort you right out! It’s the mild alcohol content of the hairspray that will lift the ink. This works on other surface types, too. But make sure you ALWAYS do a patch test on a small inconspicuous area first!
The "Definitely Don'ts"
To wrap up, let’s get the DEFINITELY DON’Ts out of the way to avoid any catastrophes.
- Don’t apply any liquids directly onto high-gloss surfaces as it could cause bubbling or watermarks.
- Avoid placing any hot objects directly onto high gloss surfaces for the same reasons. Always use coasters and placemats as an extra barrier to protect your surfaces.
- Always use water-based cleaning products, and never use bleach, or anything with ammonia or other solvents in it.
- Avoid putting sharp or scratchy objects directly onto your surfaces – keys, scissors, rough ceramics, that sort of thing. A mat, tray or bowl with silicone feet on it will look great for keeping things tidy and help prolong the life of your gloss furniture.
- Don't use any cleaning products without doing a patch test first on a small inconspicuous spot first!
The Furniturebox Care Guide
You can download our Furniturebox Care Guide that covers a lot of the materials and finishes we use in our products here:
And do you have any top tips for cleaning your high gloss furniture? We’d love to hear them! Tag us over on our Instagram with your Furniturebox product pics and share your cleaning hacks!