How To Clean Antique Stained Wood Furniture

Download Article

Download Commodity

Valuable antique article of furniture will have a layer of grime on its surface from years of exposure to dust, dirt and fumes. If you want to clean upward antiquarian furniture, be gentle. You practise not want to damage the article of furniture by using harsh chemical cleaners. Brand sure to maintain the furniture after cleaning it by dusting and polishing it regularly.

i
Cull a mild cleaner. To get-go, choose a mild cleaner. Equally y'all want to keep antique furniture as damage-costless every bit possible, harsh chemicals are a bad idea.^[1] A balmy dish lather diluted in water is a safe choice for nearly antiques. Use dish lather intended for hand washing dishes. Soap that you would employ in a dishwasher is more acidic.^[two]
- If dish soap is not successfully removing grime, it'south okay to opt for a slightly stronger cleaner. Something similar Murphy'south Oil would work, but use simply a pocket-size amount. You should not use an abundance of oily products on older furniture.^[iii]
- Some experts feel furniture paste wax, which yous can find at nearly hardware stores or department stores, is a better choice for cleaning antiques than oil.^[4]
two
Rub the surface down with a soft textile and your called cleaner. To start, wet a rag with a calorie-free amount of your chosen cleaner. Gently rub downward the surface of the furniture. Keep wiping the surface with the same rag until the rag no longer picks upward new dirt or debris.^[five]
- Avoid scrubbing, as this tin can harm the finish of old furniture. Use gentle wiping motions instead.^[6]
- Motility the rag in the direction of the grain of the wood.
Advertisement
3
Remove stuck on stains with steel wool. Some areas may have stuck on stains or grime. Yous tin use steel wool to remove these stains as long every bit you use #0000 wool and work at the stains using gentle motions.^[vii]
- Rub in the direction of the wood grain. Keep rubbing until the unwanted dirt and debris is gone.
- Make sure not to apply too much force. This tin can damage the finish.
4

Use a toothbrush in hard-to-reach places. Some areas in the piece of furniture, like corners or curves, may be hard to reach with a rag. For these areas, use a toothbrush. Dip a toothbrush in your cleaning solution. Following the grain, scrub down hard-to-achieve areas until clay and grime is gone.^[viii]
5

Wipe downward the furniture and permit it to dry. Once you're finished cleaning, you can wipe down the article of furniture with a dry rag. Use gentle motions to sop upwards well-nigh of the liquid until the furniture is relatively dry to the touch. Allow the article of furniture to air dry a flake before continuing with the cleaning process.^[9]
6

Polish the furniture when finished. Once the furniture is dry out, add a layer of polish. This will make the stop glow and give the article of furniture a nice look. To polish, only take a clean cloth and vitrify the piece of furniture until it glows.^[10] Furniture polishes, peculiarly silicone-based polishes, are best avoided on antiques.^[11]

Advertisement

1
Grit antique furniture regularly. To forbid the buildup of grime, dust your furniture regularly. When doing routine dusting in your abode, take a rag and grit off any debris built up on antique article of furniture.
- If you're using dusting sprays, become for a mild spray or no spray at all on antiques.
2
Keep antique piece of furniture out of sunlight. UV low-cal is very damaging to antiques. Therefore, it'south a bad idea to allow your antiques to be exposed to sunlight.^[12]
- Do non leave antiques outside, especially in shaded areas.
- Do not shop antiques near a window, where they may be exposed to sunlight from outdoors.
3

Use a humidifier in a dry out environment. Antique furniture is affected past wet in the air. Changes in humidity tin cause wood to shrink and scissure. Proceed a humidifier in the room where y'all store your antiques. This will continue the humidity stable, minimizing the negative affects of changing in moisture in the air.^[13]
four
Remove antique article of furniture right away if you suspect a pest infestation. Antique piece of furniture can exist very valuable. Therefore, it's a bad idea to allow it to be exposed to pests. Certain types of bugs, like beetles, as well as rats and mice will chew through antique furniture. In the event you observe a pest infestation in your dwelling, remove antique piece of furniture right abroad. Store the furniture elsewhere until the infestation is resolved.^[14]
- Check for whatsoever loose or damaged bits before moving antique article of furniture. You should not bear furniture belongings areas that are wobbly or dislodged.
- Conduct chairs by the seat rails. Carry tables by the apron or legs. E'er carry furniture, especially large furniture, beyond the floor instead of dragging information technology.
Advertisement

1

Consult an antiques expert before attempting to restore or alter old furniture. If y'all have an antique that's pricey or a collector'southward particular, exercise non attempt to restore it on your own. Talk to a local antiques dealer and inquire for advice or tips. If y'all're not familiar with restoring piece of furniture, you lot may want to rent a professional instead of attempting to restore an antiquarian on your own.^[fifteen]
2

Test your cleaner on a pocket-sized portion of the furniture get-go. You want to brand sure your chosen cleaner will not impairment your antiques. Test a small amount on a tiny area of the furniture that is not like shooting fish in a barrel to see, such as underneath the seat of a chair. Wait a few hours and cheque. If you do not notice any damage or discoloration to the furniture, this cleaner is probably safety to use.^[16]
3

Avert using oils on very old article of furniture. Murphy's Oil, when diluted, is commonly safe to use on antiques.^[17] Notwithstanding, with very old woods furniture, opt for wax over oil-based products. Wax-based cleaners are a improve selection, as wax will serve to protect wood as well as clean information technology.^[eighteen]
4
Exit paint on furniture solitary. It'due south common to detect onetime or chipping paint on antiques. Your first impulse may be to remove such discolorations. However, this is a bad thought and may negatively bear on the value of your furniture.^[xix]
- Collectors normally desire antiques every bit close to original as possible, including whatever chipped or stained pigment. If you're intending to one day sell your antique furniture, you should especially avoid altering the paint.
Advertisement

Add New Question

Question

Is beeswax okay to use on an antique wooden carved table?

Sure! Beeswax has many anti-aging properties that assist preserve the natural look of your antique.
Question

How do I get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke from furniture?

Febreeze works well. Apply the kind in a plastic bottle with a trigger sprayer. I prefer the unscented. If the smell is inside drawers or cabinets, spray thoroughly, and exit them open for a few day to thoroughly dry and air out. If y'all can still odour it, a basin of coffee beans or grounds close inside a drawer or cabinet will also deodorize. I've used coffee to destroy a lot of bad smells in antiques, not just tobacco smoke. I've also used sliced apples to remove smoke smells from inside my cabinets subsequently a kitchen fire. Set the slices in a glass or ceramic dish and then the juice doesn't damage your wood. Close the doors and go out them for a few weeks.
Question

I have a 200 twelvemonth quondam antique cedar chest. How do I care for information technology?

Wash it with lukewarm water without soap. If you lot demand lather, use it very diluted. Afterwards, dry out with a textile, and grit occasionally.
Question

How do I go rid of an old, musty smell in my antiquarian article of furniture?

Take fourth dimension to clean the furniture, and spray fresheners like Febreze on the linen or cloth parts of the furniture.
Question

How do I become rid of a musty smell inside my closet?

If these are kitchen cupboards, I accept had success by painting the interiors. When we had h2o issues under our sink, nosotros dried the cupboards out, repaired and cleaned them, and then used a bleach spray to impale any mold residue. It still smelled, so I used a stain remover spray to spray the interior surfaces, including the cement flooring base. That got rid of the smell, and so now I'grand planning on painting over them. I would imagine that a similar process would be successful for you as well.
Question

How can I make clean antique furniture that has been infested with mice?

Drive away the mice using repellent. Take notation of whatever harm, and then set up it, then clean.
Question

What can I utilize to help drawers slide open on my antique pieces?

Candle wax works well. ub a candle on the bottom of the drawer runners. Just a thin layer, then open and close drawers to spread wax.
Question

How exercise I go rid of a musty smell in the drawers of an antique hutch?

Try baking soda. Put baking soda in shallow dishes and put the dishes in each drawer.
Question

What gum tin can I use to glue some small wooden parts within my antique china cabinet?

Use Hide glue, which was probably used in the construction of your chiffonier. It tin be undone if necessary.

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

When using whatsoever harsh chemicals like paint thinner, do information technology in a well-ventilated room, wearing protective gloves and a face up mask.

About This Article

Article Summary 10

If you need to clean a slice of antique furniture, opt for a mild cleaner, such as dish soap mixed with water, to avert damaging the particular. To start cleaning, gently wipe down the surfaces with a soft cloth and your cleaner. If you're trying to remove a stain, use fine steel wool and rub the expanse in the direction of the wood grain to avoid damage. Terminate by using a toothbrush to make clean corners that are hard to achieve, and so dry off your piece of furniture with a dry out rag. For advice on maintaining your antique furniture, including why you should dust it regularly and continue information technology out of sunlight, read on!

Did this summary assistance yous?

Cheers to all authors for creating a page that has been read 275,365 times.