Recipe for nontoxic furniture oil

Leslie over at The Oko Box Blog invented a great recipe for a natural nontoxic wood oil. “I really believe there is a way to make what we need in a less toxic, chemical free way,” she says. “We just need some imagination and to stop buying into the marketing BS of big corporations.”

Leslie’s recipe:

Here is what you will need:

*Soy Oil
*Sunflower or Olive Oil
*Kosher Salt
*Vinegar (I use ume vinegar, but I think apple cider would work good too)

Doesn’t it sound too simple? I came up with this theory/formula knowing about treated wood being mainly salt and oil being a time tested preservative for centuries.

• Take all the ingredients and put them in a pot big enough to hold the amount you need (depending on whether you are doing wood floors or a chair…).
• You will use more soy oil then the others at approximately 50 -70% more in your recipe.
• Then add a ton kosher salt… meaning if you poured 1.5 Liters of oil in your pot, then you will want to ad at least 1.5 cups of salt.
• Then add a cup of the vinegar and bring to a boil.

The easiest way to apply the wood oil is with a sponge which will be able to be squeezed out and creates less waste. The cool thing is it won’t harm your skin, your brain, or your lungs & it won’t be outgassing any smell except one you might want to eat! If you would like to add a scent to your wood oil try throwing in a branch of lavender or rosemary.

Photo of stacked chair sculpture by jasoneppink.

And check out the holiday savings at Leslie’s hip clothing shop The Oko Box! If you are planning on buying green presents this season, some affordable and fabulous ideas are organic undies, hemp snow hats, scarves, and reusable shopping bags. With the coupon code “okoholiday” you can get an additional 25% off everything at The Oko Box - making shopping just a little bit easier!