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Waxing Furniture {The Easy Way}

DIY blogger confession time:

Until a couple weeks ago, I had only attempted to wax two pieces of furniture.

One turned out so-so.

The other was a complete failure.

In the end, the failure, the french country chest ended up with a light sanding and a coat of Polycrylic.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by HomeRight. Y’all know how I roll though, all opinions are 100% mine. This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

I would now like to announce that I am a waxing furniture pro.

Yes, after only one successful piece of furniture waxed two weeks ago, I am declaring myself a pro.

I don’t have an ego at all.

However, my pro-ness in the waxing furniture department depends on one thing.

The AutoRight cordless detailing polisher, made by HomeRight.

Yes, I turned to the big guns to perfect my waxing skills and it was so worth it.

How to Wax Furniture the Easy Way | How to Wax Furniture Tutorial | Waxing Furniture | Waxing Furniture Tips | How to Wax Wood Furniture

Last week, I showed you this beauty.

Buffet Makeover via RainonaTinRoof.com #buffet #makeover #red #countrychicpaint

And when I showed it to you, I hinted around that I had discovered the easiest way to waxing furniture. There are only four steps.

The Easiest Way to Wax Furniture

How to Wax Furniture the Easy Way | How to Wax Furniture Tutorial | Waxing Furniture | Waxing Furniture Tips | How to Wax Wood Furniture

#1 – Attach foam pad to the polisher and rub it around in the wax of your choice. If the can isn’t big enough to rub it around in, spread a little on the pad with a knife (that’s what I did.)

#2 – Can you push a button? You can? Good. That’s all you have to do to apply the wax to the furniture. Simply pull the trigger and watch that bad boy coat your piece in wax. The foam pad is great for getting into tight spots.

#3 – After letting your wax sit for a while, attach the cute little blue bonnet to the polisher.

#4 – Pull the trigger again and watched your piece become polished to perfection.

That’s it. This polisher makes waxing so much easier and now I can actually use wax on pieces!

Would you like your own? You can buy one on Amazon for around $55. Not too shabby for a tool that is life changing.

Need more furniture hacks and makeovers? You’re going to want to see these then…

Questions about painting furniture, trim, cabinets and more? Start here with the complete guide to painting EVERYTHING!

Questions about furniture topcoats in general? Head HERE.

Learn how to make furniture glaze in any color you want to HERE!

Want to get the details on using a paint sprayer for furniture painting? Go here then! 

You know you don’t wanna miss any of this crazy.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  6. Lynn says

    I have some side tables, blackboard frames, scones, bedroom table, coffee tables… everything I have but the jewelry!!! Cool tools! I love tools!

    Reply

  9. Lisa Roussel says

    I have a dresser to paint and that is what I would wax with a new cordless AutoRight polisher!
    I love how your buffet turned out!

    Reply

  10. Doris Henson says

    I have many pieces of old furniture I want to paint come summer and I tried to hand wax one small piece once and with my hands the way they are I knew then that I could never do that again. So I would use it to wax lots of pieces of furniture when summer gets here. Thanks for the chance to win this. 🙂

    Reply

  14. Dee Williamson says

    Oh oh I feel like I want to wax something now! I never knew there was such a tool. So glad to have come across this giveaway. If I won, I would use it to redo my red buffet table.

    Reply

  17. Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co. says

    Not that my arms don’t need the workout, but this would make my life so much better! I have a whole bunch of dressers just waiting in the wings!

    Reply

  21. Mary Stewart says

    With that baby, EVERYTHING! I’m got 3 complete sets of bedroom furniture at my mom’s house that need some TLC! Thanks for the giveaway!

    Reply

  23. chris aka monkey says

    i have one dresser i had the perfect paint job on and tried to wax it and had an amazeaballs fail on.. is there anything homeright makes that isn’t amazing?? xx

    Reply

  29. Angela Collins says

    My daughters bedroom furniture that I painted along with anything else I could get my hands on. That polisher looks AWESOME!

    Reply

  30. Tara says

    I would wax the next piece of furniture I got my hot little hands on! I love the idea of this “waxer”! So much quicker and easier than doing it by hand!

    Reply

  32. Marie @ The Interior Frugalista says

    Hi Jenna, this looks like a handy dandy tool and now I want one! I thought I found the perfect waxing tool (a horse hair shoe polishing brush) but this looks so much easier. Thanks for the Giveaway and I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed. Your pretty red buffet caught my eye over at the Wildly Original Party.

    Reply

  34. Bari velguth says

    I can think of so many projects to use thus with….. First I think I would wax my newly finished buffet… Then my dresser and bedside tables….. Hmmmm, I’d be a waxin’ fiend.

    Reply

  37. Amanda McCellon says

    I don’t do a ton of waxing because my business partner does all the painting and waxing of our big furniture pieces that we sell. So I would probably give this to her if I won to make her life a little easier. She may not use it though, she prefers to wax all pieces with her bare hands. She finds it therapeutic.

    Reply

  38. Pam says

    I SO need this as I lost muscle in my hands the last few years and had surgery on both hands last year! That has prevented me from attempting to wax furniture. Just inherited two small homes full of vintage wood furniture that I want to update with paint and wax.

    Reply

  41. Valinda says

    I would love to have this tool to use on an old free-standing kitchen cabinet that I am refinishing. Wow, it sounds like such a wonderful helper.

    Reply

  51. Carla S. says

    Oh what a wonderful idea ! I had been wanting to wax some pieces but I knew my arm would not hold up to it. This solves that problem. I have a china hutch and chest just waiting for this. Thanks for the great giveaway. Have my fingers crossed.

    Reply

  52. Alanna Staffel says

    Ooh! My I’m constantly bringing home thrifted/craigslisted furniture that “just needs a coat of paint and some wax” (my reassuring words to the husband). This would be SO handy!

    Reply

  54. Carrie says

    I haven’t had great experiences in the past with waxing either but this looks really doable. I have a dresser waiting to be painted that I would love to try this out on.

    Reply

  56. Susan M. says

    I have my button pushing finger ready! I’d use it on an old secretary desk. Awesome giveaway, thanks so much for the opportunity!

    Reply

  57. Andrea D. says

    I would wax my kitchen table. I’ve repainted my chairs, but haven’t started on my kitchen table. I’d love to have this polisher to make the waxing job easier. Thanks for the chance to win it.

    Reply

  59. Helen Vigil says

    Would love to wax my BR cabinets first to experiment, then maybe be brave enough to try my dining room table! I can just picture the outcome already! Thanks for the post!

    Reply

  63. Meghan says

    I have waxed two things now. A nightstand with Annie Sloan wax & paint and a kitchen table with homemade chalk paint and minwax. definitely not the same quality. its hard work though by hand – this would make it so much easier. i have several other pieces to do!

    Reply

  66. Marissa Wright says

    Anything I could get my hands on! I have been wanting to get into chalk paint, this would compliment perfectly!

    Reply

  67. Joye Outlar says

    Oh my goodness, I didn’t even know there was such a tool!! I have been hesitant to try large
    pieces because I didn’t have great success with waxing. But………….I’m looking for a large
    buffet and an entry table and I wouldn’t be so hesitant if I had this tool!!
    Thanks for the chance to win!!
    Joye

    Reply

  73. Dawn Connelly says

    Love chalk paint…STRONGLY dislike the waxing process. Epic fail for me every time. 🙁 This seems like it would be exactly what I need to finish my many projects occupying my garage. My hubby would be one happy man to finally have his garage back.

    Reply

  74. Dena in Texas says

    I’m wanting to restore some bedroom furniture. This would be perfect for waxing! It would be a joy…not a chore.

    Reply

  81. Merle says

    Thanks!!! I would first wax the vanity I am painting (for the last year because I don’t want to buff it!) and then……THE WORLD!!!!!

    Reply

  82. Sarah says

    I have only waxed 1 piece and said I never would again. This would make it so much nicer. I might just wax the buffet I am working on right now.

    Reply

  83. Marie Grubbs says

    What a wonderful tool. I’ve always painted furniture but only recently experimented with waxing. It adds a special something to a well love piece. I have some vintage pieces that I want to do for my new home. After 9 years of caring for my mom-in-law, I finally get to do it my way and this awesome polisher would make the job so much easier.

    Reply

  90. Lisa says

    We just bought a house and they are leaving us a lot of old out of date furniture from the estate, including a dresser, armoire and a few tables. I will definitely be using some homemade chalk paint and I will need this to wax them up 🙂

    Reply

  91. Rosalind says

    I had been avoiding waxing any furniture because of the difficulty. I am so glad to see this product. Looks so much more foolproof.

    Reply

  93. Michelle says

    I have never heard of waxing furniture, I have to look into this. I have tons of pieces that need it! I usually just use tongue oil on my wooden pieces and dust them.

    Reply

  97. Cindy says

    Not sure what piece I would wax but I think that my husband would find some uses for the waxer as well. Thanks for the chance to win.

    Reply

  103. Katie @ Addicted 2 DIY says

    I would wax an antique rocking chair. I have shied away from waxing big pieces of furniture because I was afraid of screwing up. This looks like it would be an awesome solution! Thanks for linking up to Thursday S.T.Y.L.E. and thanks for the giveaway!

    Reply

  104. Becky Childers says

    I have so many things I wound wax, I cant name them all. I have wanted to try waxing but was afraid I would mess it up. Not with this great tool, I would go to town. LOL

    Reply

  109. Melanie says

    I have waxed a ga-gillion pieces of furniture and would be anxious to give my arms and rest and try this out . . . interesting idea! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  110. Karin Outen says

    Hi Jenna,

    I am interested in trying to refinish a piece or two of furniture. Since I am a newbie to this experience, why is waxing necessary and are there only particular circumstances where waxing is required? Any tool that can make a work intensive process easier would be so helpful. Thank you for sharing your experience!

    Reply

    • Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says

      Hi Karin! Waxing is done to protect the paint job of a re-finished piece of furniture. You can also use Polycrylic, Polyurethane and a couple other topcoats. I usually only use Polycrylic or wax. Basically, the topcoat (wax or polycrylic) provide an extra and hard barrier to protect your paint from scratches or rubbing off, etc. Does that help? In terms of tools, the waxer I mentioned in this post is the best for helping you wax and cutting down on time. Anytime, I use polycrylic, I use my HomeRight Finish Max paint sprayer to make it go much faster and it gives a nicer finish!

      Reply

  111. Dharma says

    I found you through the Summer Home Tour 2015….then I got lost in your posts. Then I found a crazy little tip about some sort of waxer…which led me to your tip about the sprayer. Is it too early in our relationship to tell you that I love you? Too soon?

    Reply

  114. charlotte says

    I majorly struggled with my first painting furniture project this summer. So I had the pro help me—my husband. 🙂 Thanks for joining us at Family Joy Blog linkup

    Reply

  115. Donna @ Modern on Monticello says

    Thanks for sharing this post at #HomeMattersParty. We are renovating a room and I have a large cabinet I have waxed but just don’t like the end result. I think this buffer is going to be a purchase in my near future just so I can get that cabinet looking perfect. Thanks.

    Reply

  116. Jay says

    Hi great little trick thank you . As a French polished by trade , I often restore pieces that require wax finishes and make my own beeswax for site repairs and specific restorations. . A little trick I can share with you is …. if your apply the wax by hand and find it a little difficult to buff off to shine once it’s dried , just put a touch of mineral turps and linseed oil on your cloth as the turps softens the wax slightly to make it easier to work with And buff , while the oil adds to a nice clean, smooth sheen.

    Reply

  117. Estelle says

    I just painted my dining room table, gorgeous, I than
    WAXED, TOTAL FAILURE!!!
    I have a buffer, still blotchy, can I try what
    You said and wax with the foam buffer and
    Than buff to a shine?
    I’m so disgusted, hours if failure?
    Any help, I’ll be so geateful

    Reply

    • Jenna says

      Oh no, Estelle!! So sorry you’re having to go through this. Yes, you could try waxing with the foam buffer then buff to a shine. If that doesn’t work, I would suggest a light sanding and then using a satin polycrylic – it could be that the wax isn’t meshing well with the paint.

      Reply

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