Give Your Wood A New Lease Of Life............ (Lord Sheraton Pure Beeswax Balsam)

Member Name: lel1969

Product:	Lord Sheraton Pure Beeswax Balsam
Date:	11/06/09 (108 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Does what it claims to do

Disadvantages: Harsh on the environment

I am sure we are all by now pretty aware of the important part bees play in the survival of the human race, from pollinating the plants we eat to the production of sweet honey and super cleaning products!! Yes cleaning products!

We have quite a lot of waxed oak furniture in our house and I had always been led to believe that the best way to look after waxed furniture was to regularly wipe over it with a soft dry cloth. It wasn't until we bought our latest piece of waxed furniture that the salesman explained to me that you should regularly wax and clean your furniture yourself. As he wasn't actually trying to sell me any cleaning products I listened attentively as he explained that cleaning and waxing your own furniture would in reality help to keep the wood looking its best, lift any dirt and restore that new furniture sheen, whilst helping to preserve the life span of the wood.

I am really quite proud of my oak furniture and had always thought it looked quite eye-catching, that was until I found Lord Sheraton's Pure Beeswax Balsam. Taking on board the advice of the very helpful salesman I went to Tesco to see what I could find and sitting proudly on the shelf looking very appealing was Lord Sheraton's Pure Beeswax Balsam presented in a little box with an open front revealing a cute dumpy little glass jar with metal screw top lid.

**A Bit About The Product**

The balsam itself contains pure refined beeswax, cold pressed linseed oil and pine turpentine. Due to the fact that the balsam has turpentine as an ingredient the box has quite a distressing warning on the side, with a big red cross informing us that turpentine is harmful, flammable and dangerous for the environment and should therefore be used carefully and as directed and once finished is should also be disposed of carefully.

Only a small amount of the balsam is needed at a time and using a clean soft cloth you should gradually rub the balsam along the grain of the wood and then immediately polish it with the cloth.

**Using The Balsam**

I must admit I was a bit wary about using this product, I think the big red cross on the side scared me a bit and I was terrified it would darken my furniture or kill it! I decided to test it first on a small hidden part of my sideboard, just in case. The test seemed to go well, I didn't really notice any difference in the look of the wood at all so I decided just to go for it. After removing all ornaments etc. from the sideboard, I gave it a quick wipe, just to remove any surface dust, which is normally all I do with my waxed furniture.

You are advised to wear gloves whilst using this product, but I hate wearing gloves to do housework so I just decided to be careful. When I first opened the jar I was surprised at how strongly the balsam smelled. It had a really strong pine fragrance, quite pleasant actually, a bit like something you would use to clear your sinuses if you had a bad cold. It has a dark creamy, yellowy colour and looks quite oily with a buttery looking texture. Obviously I didn't touch the balsam but once I placed some on the cloth I noticed it was quite thick and creamy. I slowly began to work my way across the top of my sideboard, taking care to make sure I rubbed the balsam along the grain and making sure I rubbed it in well and polished the area I had applied the balsam to as I went along. I couldn't believe the amount of dirt that was lifted from the top of the sideboard, it actually left me feeling quite ashamed! I went through numerous cloths as I cleaned my various pieces of furniture lifting an astonishing amount of dirt and grime!

It was quite hard work on my arms and it did take some time to do but it was certainly worth it.

**The Results**

I was very, very impressed with the results. The balsam didn't spoil the look of my wood at all, quite the opposite, it gave it a facelift, a new lease of life and restored it to its former glory. After using the balsam my furniture looks so clean, I hadn't actually appreciated just how dirty it was until I'd cleaned it. It left my wood with a lovely natural sheen again and a beautiful smell as well. On entering the room it actually smelled like that new furniture smell, so it not only made the wood look like new again, it also made it smell like new again.

The Lord Sheraton Pure Beeswax Balsam can be used on all types of wooden furniture from fine, antique, French polished to waxed and untreated.

I bought my balsam from Tesco at £2.10, which I feel is a really reasonable price, a small amount goes along way so I do expect it to last a while.

Other products within the Lord Sheraton range include Leather balsam, Leather Shine and Leather Wipes.

Made by Dylon you can find more information about their products at www.dylon.co.uk

Thanks for reading.

©lel1969

Summary: A great wood restorer