All-natural, food contact safe wax that is perfect for cutting boards, butcher blocks, and other wooden surfaces. Made completely with plant-based ingredients it is vegan-friendly, VOC-free, contains no mineral oil, and solvent-free! Perfect for sealing raw wood or over Real Milk Paint®.
Wood Wax
From: $7.99
Product Description
VOC-Free Wood Wax for Finishing Furnishings
Finish off raw wood handmade furnishings with a beautiful shine by using Wood Wax from the Real Milk Paint Co. This 100% natural wax made from plant-based materials makes a great choice for kitchen items, and it’s also eco-friendly for added peace of mind when used on surfaces your family uses daily.
Wood Wax provides the shine of wax and the long-term water protection of oil for versatility in use. Perfect for use on any raw wood furniture or decor, this wood salve also helps preserve and protect cutting boards and butcher blocks. Easy application and smooth coverage make this wood butter simple to use.
Preparation products from the Real Milk Paint Co. help clear the path for Wood Wax application on raw wood, and this wood salve requires only clean cloths for application to make the process fast and simple. When you want a natural shine that lasts, this wood butter fills the bill.
Safe for Use on Food-Contact Surfaces
Feel good about finishing kitchen items with Wood Wax from the Real Milk Paint Co. Safe for food-contact surfaces, this nontoxic wood salve has a 100% natural formulation that includes plant-based walnut oil and carnauba wax, providing a vegan finishing option for everyday items such as wooden bowls and spoons.
Environmentally Friendly & Vegan Formulation
Make your DIY project green and sustainable with environmentally friendly Wood Wax. This VOC-free wood butter also contains no solvents or petroleum, making it safe to use in enclosed spaces. The lack of harsh chemicals lets you use the items you cover with Wood Wax with confidence. Additionally, it contains no ingredients derived from animals (or bees) or their by-products.
Made without Mineral Oil (Petroleum Distillates)
A unique quality of our Wood Wax is that its formulation is free of mineral oils. Despite its name, mineral oil is a by-product of petroleum. When crude oil is processed, there are multiple distillates that are derived from this process. One of these petroleum distillates is mineral oil. Some grades of mineral oils are classified as “food safe” while others are not. Because of the petroleum origin of mineral oil, we chose to avoid using it in the formulation of Wood Wax so that you can have peace of mind.
Suitable for Numerous Projects
Preserve and protect a handmade wooden surface with Wood Wax by the Real Milk Paint Co. Whether you wish to add sheen to butcher block countertops, seal over milk paint, or coat rustic chairs to showcase the beauty of their grain, this wood salve has you covered with an easy-to-apply formulation that cures quickly for fuss-free use in record time.
Ideal for Maintenance
In addition to finishing raw wood, Wood Waxes also work great for maintaining items you’ve already finished with it. For instance, it serves particularly well as a cutting board wax, allowing you to refresh this kitchen staple quickly and easily. Simply apply it with a clean cloth to projects when you need to refresh and rejuvenate their previous sheen. Our soft wax is also a good option for this.
How to Use Wood Wax
Wood Wax from the Real Milk Paint Co. offers a simple solution for all your raw wood finishing needs. Generous containers provide an ample amount for projects large and small, and easy preparation means you don’t spend all your do-it-yourself time on singular results. A fast and easy application requiring no specialized tools makes using our wood salve just as doable for beginners as for experts, and a formulation that stores easily lets you save any leftover product for additional projects down the road.
Coverage
Wood Wax from the Real Milk Paint Co. comes in two sizes for easy project planning. Our 4-ounce container works well for smaller items such as wooden spoons or turned bowls, while our 16-ounce container makes an excellent choice for finishing everything from handmade chairs to butcher block countertops.
- 4 ounces covers 35 square feet
- 16 ounces covers 140 square feet
Preparation
The Real Milk Paint Co.’s Wood Wax works best on raw wood. If the surface you wish to finish was previously sealed or painted (poly, varnish, etc) then that finish will need to be removed. We recommend using Soy Gel Professional Paint Remover to remove most finishes before application. If the surface you want to apply the wax to has previously been treated with a mineral-oil, this will have to be removed. We recommend using hot water and dish soap or Citrus Solvent to remove the mineral oil. It is worth noting that you can use Wood Wax over Real Milk Paint and water or oil-based stains. If you’re starting with raw wood, make sure there are no contaminants on the surface by cleaning it with Trisodium Phosphate. If you’re working with stripped wood that has water stains, you can clear them with Oxalic Acid Wood Bleach before beginning. You don’t have to sand raw wood surfaces before using Wood Wax unless they have a rougher texture than desired. Sanding up to 220 grit is acceptable. If you do sand, be sure to clean the area again before applying the wax.
Application
To apply Wood Wax, you just need a couple of clean rags, old t-shirts, or the inside of an old sock. Dip the first clean cloth into the wood butter, then rub it onto the surface you’re finishing until it’s evenly coated. Allow Wood Wax to remain on the surface for 10 to 15 minutes, then buff off the excess with the other clean cloth. To get the ideal amount of sheen or to restore shine after a previous application, reapply Wood Wax as needed. Before lightly using the items coated with Wood Wax, be sure to wait for 5 to 7 days. Keep in mind that Wood Wax by the Real Milk Paint Co. takes 15 to 30 days to fully cure, so plan your projects accordingly. One of the best ways to decrease the curing time is to put the treated items in a warm environment. Professionals or those using Wood Wax for batch cutting boards, bowls, spoons, etc often use a lightbulb kiln to quickly cure the wax. This small space, low-heat solution passively cures the wax at a much quicker rate.
Maintenance
Cleaning surfaces treated with Wood Wax is easy. We recommend washing with mild cleaners, like hot water and dish soap, and avoiding acidic cleaners such as vinegar. Scheduled maintenance is not required with Wood Wax. We recommend applying only when the surface looks dry and needs refreshing. Apply small amounts to worn areas as needed. Buff with a clean cloth to blend newly applied wax to the rest of the surface.
Storage
Before or after use, store Wood Wax in a moderate-temperature environment. You can also store our wood butter in a refrigerator if you require a long-term storage solution.
Want to Learn More?
Check out the How-To video, FAQ, Ingredients, and Review tabs below!
“Can I use Wood Wax over products like your Milk Paint, Half & Half, Dark Half, Pure Tung Oil, Hemp Oil, Dark Tung Oil, etc?”
Yes! We recommend allowing the products mentioned above to fully dry before applying Wood Wax on the treated surface. For Real Milk Paint, 24-48 hours would be sufficient. For finishing oils, the full 30 days is necessary.
“Can I use this over a surface already treated with another finish?”
Yes and no as it depends on the finish. If the surface was previously treated with a mineral-oil finish, that finish will need to be removed before applying Wood Wax. (We recommend hot water and soap or our Citrus Solvent to remove the mineral oil.) If the surface has an oil-based stain, water-based stain, or Real Milk Paint you can apply the Wood Wax over these.
“It says the Wood Wax requires 15-30 days to fully cure, is there any way I can speed up that process?”
One of the best ways to decrease the curing time is to put the treated items in a warm environment. Professionals or those using Wood Wax for batch cutting boards, bowls, spoons, etc often use a lightbulb kiln to quickly cure the wax. This small space, low-heat solution passively cures the wax at a much quicker rate. Our manufacturing process also involves heating the walnut oil/carnauba wax. This heating process helps push the walnut oil to polymerize quicker.
“Is there a risk of walnut oil going rancid?”
Because walnut oil is a drying oil, meaning it transforms from an oil to a solid through a polymerization process, it does not run the risk of going rancid. If the oil were to “spoil” it would simply turn hard.
“One of the ingredients is ‘walnut oil’ aren’t you concerned about allergic reactions?”
While it is impossible to rule out the possibility of an allergic reaction, there is good evidence to suggest that the walnut oil in Wood Wax won’t provoke a reaction. First, walnut oil is not high in proteins, which are the typical culprits for reactions. Walnut Oil is also a polymerizing/drying oil. Most allergens are caused by oils that do not polymerize/dry. When the oil is polymerized/dry the proteins are no longer active. The use of heat during the manufacturing process of Wood Wax causes the walnut oil to polymerize faster. Heating the walnut oil (polymerized walnut oil) also helps to reduce the risk of allergic reactions by “cooking out” the proteins. The FDA lists walnut oil as safe for direct food contact (when used in resinous or polymeric coatings. (See 21 CFR 175.300(b)(3)(i).) Even so, out of an abundance of caution and with the best interests of our customers in mind, we recommend each customer consult their physician if they have an allergy concern before using Wood Wax.
What its made of
We believe in being honest with what is in our products. So, that’s why we provide the ingredients used in them so you can rest assured knowing exactly what’s in the product you purchase from us. It’s just a way we make it easier on you.
Wood Wax is made of
- Walnut Oil – FDA approved for food contact View document.
- T1 Carnauba Wax – Affirmed by the FDA as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) for direct food contact. View Document
Click here to view and download the Wood Wax Safety Data Sheet.
