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Spring Cleaning and Wood Oiling

Spring Cleaning and Wood Oiling

Springtime is here and we all know what that means...warmer weather, sunshine, flowers, fresh air, longer days, and of course spring cleaning. 🧼 While cleaning is no one's favorite thing in the world, spring cleaning is a great time for a fresh reset! Waking up in a clean home is the best feeling. We’re here to give you some spring cleaning tips to help make the process a little smoother this season! The best part is you probably already have most of the supplies you will need!  
      
In addition to cleaning your home, you also need to be cleaning your wood jewelry.
      
While we are currently in the spirit of spring cleaning, this is something that needs to be done year-round...especially with weather changes like we are about to see. 🌤 When was the last time you oiled your wood plugs, tunnels, or hangers? How did you do it? You would be surprised how many people are actually cleaning their wood accessories wrong, which can be harmful in the long run. But no worries, Arctic Buffalo is here to help!  
       
Below, we will give you the 411 on exactly how you should be oiling your wood plugs, the deets on what you should NOT be doing, and some tips and tricks for cleaning your home in the spirit of spring cleaning. What better way to start the spring season than with clean jewelry, clean ears, and a clean home? 
       

What to Avoid: Water and rubbing alcohol 

Before we get into the process of how to oil your wood jewelry, let’s first talk about what you should not be doing to clean your wood jewelry. The number one no-no when cleaning your plugs is using water or alcohol on them. 🚫 I know...water seems like the one product you can use on everything, but NOT your wood jewelry. This should stick in your head forever, because it is so peculiar that wood jewelry requires such unique care.  
          
We won’t bore you with too many details, but basically water, rubbing alcohol, or any products along those lines will damage the wood. The stripped moisture will cause the wood to dry out and leave discoloration, changing the overall appearance of the wood.  

            

🧼 Spring Cleaning: Rubbing alcohol 

Although you can’t use rubbing alcohol on your wood jewelry, there are areas where it can be put to good use. So, what should you use alcohol for regarding your spring cleaning? Rubbing alcohol is an awesome disinfectant! Mix one part water and one part rubbing alcohol for an eco-friendly homemade disinfectant. For this spring-cleaning task, use rubbing alcohol to clean the sinks! It seems odd to clean the sinks when water and soap go down the drain regularly, but you would be surprised at what gets caked up down there. Using rubbing alcohol and a dry cloth, you can buff your sinks to shiny perfection.  After that’s done, spray a little extra rubbing alcohol down the sink to kill any bacteria, break down resting gunk, and leave your sink in a shimmering condition.   

Source: https://cleanmyspace.com/rubbingalcohol/ 

          

The Why Behind Oiling: Protection 

To put it simplythere are two main reasons why you should be oiling your plugs. Wood jewelry needs to be oiled to avoid cracking, and secondly, the oil acts as a barrier between the wood and your skin. Wood is a porous material, so it needs to be moisturized regularly in order to keep its natural composition. If the wood is not properly moisturized, it will start to dry out and eventually crack. When you oil your wood jewelry, you are creating a very thin barrier between the wood and your ear.  
       
This oil barrier can help to reduce the stretching and shrinking of your wood plugs from temperature changes, protect your ears, and keep your jewelry looking as good as new for as long as possible. This is especially important with season changes like we are about to see! The oil acts as a barrier to reduce bacteria. When wood is not oiled, the pores of the wood absorb whatever they are in contact with, which in this case is your ears. 🦠 

        

🧼 Spring Cleaning: Reduce bacteria in the home 

We use oil to reduce bacteria growth on our plugs. In the spirit of spring cleaning, let’s also reduce the bacteria in our homes. Did you know your kitchen is known to have more bacteria than your bathroom? The place where you prepare food and eat it! GROSS! If you want to reduce bacteria in your home, this is the place to start.  

Use three tablespoons of bleach in up to quart of water for the germ fighter you didn’t know you needed! Use an older white towel and this solution to wipe down highly touched areas, such as the fridge handles, light switches, sink knobs, microwave buttons, and kitchen surfaces. Tackling the kitchen will leave you feeling much cleaner through the entirety of your home. No one wants extra company living in their home rent free...especially when it’s germs! 

Source: https://www.aarp.org/health/longevity/info-04-2010/where_the_germs_are_lurking_in_your_home.html 

        

The Process 

Step 1: Prepare for the jewelry to be oiled 

Now that you understand the importance of oiling your wood jewelry, we’re going to explain how you do it properly. Before you begin, make sure to thoroughly wash your hands. Your hands need to be clean to avoid getting unwanted bacteria into the pores of the wood. Once your hands are clean, you are ready to go! First, use a cloth to wipe the piece of jewelry off. This will remove any dust or dead skin accumulated from the jewelry laying around that may be resting on the surface. 

         

🧼 Spring Cleaning: Dust your furniture 

Removing dust and debris in preparation of your jewelry to be oiled has us in the mood to remove dust and dead skin in our houseDid you know dust is a mix of skin cells, hair, clothing fibers, bacteria, dust mites, bits of dead bugs, soil particles, pollen, and microscopic specks of plastic?! That’s why it is important to keep up on your dusting. Haven’t been? No biggie, but now’s the time.  

To match this step of the oiling process, we think you should dust all your furniture. Allergies are already at an all-time high in the spring, so there’s no need to make it worse by breathing in dirt and dust. Don’t have a feather duster? You’re in luck. The best way to remove dust is just using a water-dampened cloth. This allows you to collect the dust and get rid of it, rather than just spreading it into the air with a feather duster. When dust gets back into the air, you end up just breathing it back in, which kind of defeats the whole purpose of dusting, right? Just make sure that the damp cloth doesn’t touch your freshly wiped jewelry. 😉 

Source: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a24221/get-rid-of-dust/ 

            

Step 2: Massage the oil into your jewelry 

Next, you will want to grab a paper towel and the oil you are using. Many types of oil will work to moisturize your jewelry. Arctic Buffalo recommends using jojoba or vitamin E oil. Add a fingernail-sized drop of oil to the paper towel for larger sizes and half that amount for smaller sizes. Gently massage the oiled paper towel into the wood. The piece of jewelry should be completely covered but not saturated. You do not want your piece of jewelry to be soaking in oil, as it will expand after absorption. 

          

🧼 Spring CleaningClean your carpet 

We’re moisturizing our jewelry, so while we’re at it, let’s also moisturize our carpets...just a bit differently. This spring-cleaning task involves getting a little moisture into your carpet while deep cleaning it 
     
Making the cleaning solution is easy! Just mix one part vinegar with three parts water. This carpet solution not only deep cleans your carpets but acts as a disinfectant as well! Dip a scrub brush into the mixture and scrub-a-dub-dub away! 🧽 Just as you don’t want your wood jewelry saturated in oil, you don’t want your carpet saturated in the solution. Use just enough to clean, but not soak the carpet. After you’re done massaging the solution into the carpet fibers, you will want to use towels to absorb excess moisture. Let the carpet fully dry by aiming fans at your carpet for a few hours 
      
Deep cleaning the carpet is quite the task, but spring cleaning is the perfect time to just get it done. You will be happy you did when you’re feeling fresh carpet between your toes, seeing less dust, and smelling a new freshness in the air! 
     

            

Step 3: Finding the small areas 

When working with jewelry that hacarvings or small flares, it may be difficult to get the surface covered entirely. But it is very important to do so that no discoloration occurs on the wood. You want to make sure you are evenly oiling the entire surface, including every small groove or crevice. This is particularly important when working with single or double flared jewelry, because the flare is usually quite small. When working with small grooves, it is helpful to use a Q-tip to make sure you are getting to those hard-to-reach spots. Just dip the Q-tip in oil so that all the fibers are moisturized and use the Q-tip like a paint brush🖌 

             

🧼 Spring Cleaning: Vacuum out the couch 

Speaking of getting into small crevices, let’s talk about the crevices of your couch. We know all too well that our couch cracks love to swallow up coins, Cheetos and other unwanted Netflix partners. No one wants to run their hands through your 6-month-old crumbs, dirt, sticky change or wrappers while looking for their phone, keys, or your couch’s favorite, the TV remote🛋 We all know this couch. Don’t make this your couch! How much more enjoyable would it be to hang out on (or search through) a couch that you knew was clean underneath? We’re going to guess it’s pretty satisfying. So, for this spring-cleaning task, we’re vacuuming our couch cushions and every nook and cranny underneath.  

         

Step 4: Let your plugs dry 

Once you have the entire surface of the wood evenly covered, place it back on the paper towel to sit overnight. 🌙 Keep in mind that the wood should feel tacky immediately after you get done oiling. Your plugs will dry as the oil is fully absorbed. Avoid wearing the jewelry until the next morning or at least 8 hours, so that the oil can soak in properly. The next morning, you will want to brush off any paper towel fibers potentially resting on the plug, and you are good to go! 

        

🧼 Spring Cleaning: Fresh air and fragrance 

While your jewelry is drying, why not air out your house too? Opening windows in your home to get some fresh air is arguably the easiest and most satisfying way to freshen up your home. 🍃 Even if this is the only task from this blog you can get yourself to complete, it’s going to feel great when you do itIt’s more beneficial than you think! There are many surprising health benefits to having fresh air in your home.  
     
Fresh air is said to help clear your lungs and give you more energy and focus. While we aren’t doctors or scientistshere’s what we can sayThere truly is nothing more refreshing than springtime fresh air circling throughout your home after breathing in the same recycled air all winterOpen your windows, light your favorite candle and enjoy the blissful ambiance you have created.
      

         

When it comes to oiling your wood jewelry, there are many factors that come into play such as the climate you live in, how often you wear them, and the type of wood used. For a general rule of thumb, you should be oiling your jewelry at least once a month. For best results with wood products, make sure you are not wearing your wood jewelry for multiple days and nights in a row. With such a porous material, you need to allow the wood and your ears to breathe. Also note that wood should only be worn in healed ears. Behind every stretched ear is a routine to keep the ear healthy and looking awesome. Make sure you have a regimen for yours! 

Start the spring season with a clean home, clean jewelry and clean ears. Decluttering your life might be just the thing you need to spark a mental resetStart the new season off right in 2021 with these cleaning tips and tricks. Happy spring buffs! Warmer weather is ahead! 🌞 

Click here to check out our short video on how to oil!

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