Turning Old Furniture New: When Refinishing Isn’t Necessary
But if you truly take the time to look, there are quite a few times when the process of refinishing isn’t necessary. Sometimes all that is necessary is a good solid cleaning. So how do you tell the difference and what are the best cleaning methods for restoring your wood furniture to the luster of days gone by? This article will give you a few insights and hints that might help.
Recognizing the Signs
As you probably know, old finishes on furniture fade over time. Dust, grime, oil, even dirt can wreck havoc on any piece of furniture, and if left unprotected, the finish on wooden furniture can look quite bleak in a number of years. So how do you tell if you have a situation where refinishing is a must, or if a good cleaning is all you need? The first is to look at the finish. Do you see deep scratches or cracks? If you do, and they extend deep into the finish, be prepared to refinish the piece. Do you see layers of dirt and grime, but no other signs of distress such as scratches? Chances are a good solid cleaning is all you need. Another sign that all you are looking at is a dirty piece of furniture is to actually feel the piece of furniture, following the grain. A finish that needs redone will often have an undulating surface that may not be visible to the naked eye. This undulating surface is caused by scratches deep in the finish that have filled in, causing the surface to be slightly uneven. Another cause of this undulating surface can be severe water damage. In either case, the furniture has to be well cleaned and dried before refinishing, so proper cleaning of your wood furniture is a great first step.
Cleaning Your Wood Furniture
So you’ve decided to try and clean that old wooden table that has taken up residence in your basement. How you clean it, and what materials you use will depend greatly on the amount of dirt, dust and grime has been built up on the table. If it is lightly to moderately soiled, a simple combination of a soft cloth, warm water, and white liquid soap should work wonders. Simply take a cloth and dip it in a mixture of mild liquid soap such as Ivory Ã?® or a baby shampoo. Then, wipe down the surface, making sure that the soapy water just breaks up the dirt and grime, but doesn’t soak into the wood or finish itself. Follow quickly with a clean soft cloth to dry the table. Then, if necessary, moisturize the surface with a wood oil or polish.
If the dirt and grime on the surface of your table is moderate to severe, another approach is best. Mix together 1 quart of soapy water, using the mild liquid detergent mentioned above. Next, add the following to that mixture: 3 tablespoons of boiled linseed oil, and 1 tablespoon of turpentine. Use this mixture to wash the piece of furniture, again, making sure not to soak the wood through. Again, be sure to dry it well with a soft cloth. The addition of the linseed oil and turpentine will help to break up the more stubborn dirt that simple soap and water might miss. If you run into truly stubborn stains or grime, try mixing a mild abrasive with some mineral oil, such as pumice powder and use the mixture to break up the stain, always making sure to go with the grain of the wood. Then, once the material is broken up sufficiently, make sure to wash the abrasive solution from the area using soap and water.
As you can see, with a little elbow grease and a lot of patience, you might uncover a piece of wood furniture with a beautiful wood finish. So before you throw away that old table taking up room in your basement, give it a good cleaning. Chances are you’ll find a great new piece for your living room under all that grime.
