Top cleaning tips for white lacquered furniture that has yellowed

Lacquered surfaces have made their way dynamically into everyone's homes. From matt lacquered furniture to glossy lacquered furniture, from living room and kitchen furniture to shelves in the bedroom or living room, most of the modern interior furniture is made of melamine or lacquer coated wood. Lacquer allows furniture to last longer and be more durable, easy to clean with a damp microfiber cloth and more impact resistant.

However, in the case of white lacquered furniture, the problem is different: yellowing. Over time, exposure to natural light causes slow but inevitable yellowing on white lacquered surfaces, both matte and glossy. Let's look together at some useful cleaning tips for white lacquered furniture and, even before that, how you can prevent the yellowing problem.

How to prevent yellowing of white lacquered furniture

Yellowing of white lacquered furniture can be combated, or at least significantly reduced, with a deep cleaning, but this is not always enough. In this, as in many other cases, prevention is better than cure. How? With a few easy practices. Specifically:

• Place white furniture far away from hot areas, such as radiators or other heat sources, because over time they could cause the lacquer to dry out and leave dark marks on the lacquer.
• Avoid leaving white lacquered furniture in direct sunlight. For this, add curtains that will limit the excessive diffusion of natural light, protecting the lacquer from sunlight.

What to do if white lacquered furniture turns yellow

If white lacquered furniture is yellowing and has darker stains, it's time for adequate, effective but never aggressive cleaning. Generally, lacquered furniture can be cleaned with a microfiber cloth and a Marseille soap-based detergent. Ideally, avoid using disinfectants or aggressive detergents, as these can remove the shine of the lacquer over time.

How to keep your furniture lacquer shiny

To ensure that the lacquer stays clean and shiny, it's a good idea to clean your furniture almost daily. Regular dusting and wiping with a slightly damp microfiber cleaning cloth that doesn't leave lint is the best solution to always keep your lacquer shiny.

📌 Read also: Blue kitchen: How to decorate it in an ideal way

How to clean matt white lacquered furniture

To reduce yellowing of matte white lacquered furniture, you can follow a few simple practices, including:

• Use a soft cloth and moisten it with alcohol and then rub the surfaces. You can repeat the process regularly.
• Wet a soft cloth with white wine vinegar, scrub well and repeat regularly for even better results.

💡 Vinegar will also remove bad odors caused by, for example, cigarette smoke.

You can also use ammonia but be careful to mix it well and not to overdo it with this product, which can be aggressive to the surface. Prepare the right aqueous solution and go over the opaque furniture and then rinse well.

How to make white lacquered furniture shiny again

If the glossy white lacquered furniture has turned yellow and also lost its shine, you can use a mixture of turpentine and cooked linseed oil. Pour these ingredients in a litre of warm water and clean the surfaces to see them shine again.

Heed the above tips, clean the white lacquered furniture in your home and make it clean and shiny again. Looking for more useful tips and ideas for the home? Find everything you need in the Spitogatos blog articles and create a clean and functional space, just the way you dream of.