Initial Application

• Three thin coats of wax are applied to finished pieces of furniture with steel wool with the grain of the wood. It is necessary to allow each coat to dry before applying the next coat of wax. A terry cloth is used to buff the furniture to a shine after 20 minutes.
  
  

Frequency of Use

• After the initial application wax should be used once every six months. Dusting between furniture wax applications is done with a damp cloth.
  
  

Finished Wood

• According to Ron Ashby, a professional woodworker and refinisher, "You can apply wax over any finish-penetrating oils, varnish, lacquer, or polyurethane." Use paste wax formulated from carnauba, beeswax, synthetic and vegetable.
  
  

Repair Surfaces

• Repairing wood furniture that has ink or paint stains or needs spot refinishing requires buffing the area with #0000 steel wool. This is followed by an application of paste wax, after which it is buffed to a shine.
  
  

Common Mistakes

• When wax is applied too thick it will dry unevenly. Buffing the wax before it is dry will smear the wax and produce a spotty shine.