Does What it says on the Tin (Pledge Furniture Polish)

Member Name: shroud

Product:	Pledge Furniture Polish
Date:	24/05/07 (814 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: easy to use, pleaantt scents, recyclable container

Disadvantages: use too much at ago , you will get waxy build up over time

When it comes to dust and shine my woodwork, I rely on an old favourite. Just as I trust my carpets to Shake N Vac due to a long personal history begiinning in childhood, I place my trust in this for my finished wood products.

Pledge is a product of S.C Johnson Wax, and has been made well over the 37 years I have been familar with it. Just seeing the name and a tin, regardless of type, I automatically get a mental whiff of the lemon scent that used to emanate from that 1970's tin of childhood. These days the lemon scent is old hat, and it is currently widely available in natural (I think this is supposed to be a vaguely wood smell), Springtime which smells like air freshener strangely muted by furniture polish, and orange, which has a lovely citrusy scent that vaguely brings back the lemony nostalgia.

Pledge is simple to use. Simply hold the aerosol about 6-8 inches from the surface, and spray a light even coat. Then wipe off witha dust and lint free cloth following the grain of the wood. Don't use too much, as the wax that gives the sheen will build up over time. There is no need to dust first, as the polish goes on wet, and so when you wipe, the moisture grabs the dust particles and deposits them firmly onto your duster. Ideally you then use another part of the duster for the next piece of furniture, to avoid smearing and rubbing in the dust onto the next surface.


As I have mentioned, the polish contains ingredients which leave a small deposit upon the surface to leave a shine and protect the surface. It also serves to help remove finger marks that may have been there previously so that the surface is left ith a lovely even sheen. However, s the deposits can result in a residue ver time, this is not a product to use everyday. Rather, this is a once a week at most thing to use, to help keep the wooden furniture looking its best. Day to day dusting is best done with a plain damp duster or a microfibre cloth.

While designed for finished or painted wood, the spray can also be used on the plastic housing of a TV or similar piece of furniture, to help remove dust and finger marks. These sort of electrical items do attract dust due to their nature, and while you can use it this way, a much more suitable product would be the Pledge Clean and Dust. This is like ordinary furniture polish, but designed for much more than wood, and contains anti static ingredients to help repel dust. Being suitable also for glass, this is a much better option than the ordinary Pledge polish.

Pledge Furniture Polish should be kept out of the reach of children as injury can result if they accidentally spray it into the eyes. Being flammable due to the propellant, also never spray by naked flames. It should also be stored away from heat, and when emptied, not burned in a bonfire or other incinerator as it will explode.
The tin can however be placed into recycling bins alongside food tins for ecofriendly disposal. Another precaution is never use it on unsealed wood, or wax finishes, and you should consult an expert if wishing to polish antique furniture as the finishes may react.

Having allergies and asthma, I have to say this is a product whose scents do not aggravate me in any way. The scent is light and pleasant, and the mist fine. The design of the lid and its sprayer is such that the fine mist goes where it is aimed, and no blowback is experienced to be inhaled by the unwary. While light scented, the smell is lingering, so if using other scented products in the room, it is probably best to co-ordinate them to avoid a clash.

The sheen is long lasting, which I find refreshing for a change. In the past, I have been handed cheapr furniture polishes, and the shine faded nearly as quickly as the surface was dried, which was a huge waste of effort. I fail to see the pint of polishing something if the sheen fades in the next 5 minutes.

So, it does what it says on the tin, is easy to use, and smells nice That pretty much covers everything about this simple little product, except how much and where to buy. You can buy this in pratically every shop on the high street that sells household cleaners. It retails for under £1 for a 250 ml sized tin at Tesco and Asda, where I usually get mine.

Summary: Pledge shines wood like no other