Furniture
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Your wood furniture needs regular maintenance just as surely as your car does. Consider that dining room table you bought a few years ago. Wouldn't it be nice if, years down the road, your grand-children prized it as an anitque?
Figure out what type of finish your furniture has is the first order of business. If your furniture has it the first order of business. If your furniture has an oil finish, you should only dust and re-oil it. If it has the core common hard finish--such as varnish or lacquer--you have more options.
Oil finish or a hard finish? Here's how you tell the difference. Put a few drops of boiled linseed oil on the wood and rub it in with your finger. If the wood absorbs the oil, you have an oil finish. If the boiled linseed oil beads up, you have a hard varnished or lacquered finish.
To clean oiled furniture, dust with a dry cloth. Don't use a dust-attracting product on the cloth, and make sure the cloth is soft and free of buttons, zippers, and anything else that might scratch the wood. Then apply oil to the wood (boiled linseed oil, tung oil, or an oil recommended by the furniture's manufacturer). Rub the oil in with a clean cloth. Do this an average of once a month. So you've been neglectful? Re-oil your furniture every two weeks for a couple of months to allow it to catch up on missing oil.
To protect oiled furniture, never put cloth items or water on it.Cloth items will absorb the moisture from the oil and dry out your furniture. Unfortunately, oil offers the least protection of any finish--get any water on it and you're done--yet it requires the highest maintenance.
To clean varnished or lacquered furniture, dust first with a soft rag or stick duster. It's OK to add a little dust-attracting product, such as Endust, to the rag or duster but not straight onto the furniture. Let it dry before you dust. If necessary, you can clean hard-finished furniture with a damp cloth and mild detergent, such as Dawn. Now you're ready to polish.
To protect a hard finish, apply a furniture polish, such as Old English in an aerosol can. First, mist the surface of the furniture and use one area of a rag to spread the polish, wiping in a circular motion. Turn the rag over and wipe off the excess polish. Avoid polishes that consist mostly of silicone and paraffin wax, because both of these ingredients tend to build up and eventually soften or ruin a finish.
To clean furnished or lacquered kitchen furniture, you'll need to take a different approach, because it is exposed to grease and cooking oils. Use a cloth that has been barely dampened with dishwashing detergent and water to remove the oily substances. Follow up with a cloth dampened with plain water and then polish. For more cleaning power, use an oil soap, such as Murphy, diluted according to the package directions. (Test an inconspicuous spot first.) Polish your kitchen table at least three times a week. Every three months, clean it using the mineral spirits method described in the next paragraph.
To give a hard fiish a thorough cleaning and remove built up wax, you'll need a few very soft rags. Old diapers that have been wahsed many times are splendid. Soak one rag with mineral spirits. Wipe your furniture thoroughly, flipping the rag frequently. Thoroughly go over all areas several times with the rag, and don't be afraid to apply more mineral spirits frequently. Now dry the surface completely with a soft, dry rag. Repeat this wiping and drying process at least three times using a fresh rag each time.
Once the furniture is clean, you can polish. Spray the polish on the wood and rub it in with a rag, going in a circular motion. Now use another clean, soft rag--or flip the polishing rag to a dry spot--and wipe with the grain of the wood to remove excess polish. Carved wood should be cleaned in the same way, regualrly with polish and once a year with mineral spirits. The only difference is that you'll need a soft toothbrush to get into the intricate carved details.
If a finish has become sticky, this usually means it has failed--the result of too much polish buildup, exposure to oils over the years, or the finish's having degraded over time. Use mineral spirits and superfine steel wool (0000) to remove the old finish, rubbing with the grain of the wood. Wipe three or four times with a rag and fresh mineral spirits. When you're done, the furniture will have to be refinished. Talk to a professional or follow the package directions on the finishing product you choose. Don't do this to a valuable antique. Take it to a pro.
To clean painted wood furniture, dust it with a water-dampened cloth. If necessary, use a mild, nonabrasive detergent (such as dishwashig detergent) and warm water. Dip a rag into the cleaning solution and wring it nearly dry. Work on a small section of wood at a time. Rinse with clear water. Dry the surface with a clean cloth quickly before continuing.
Waxes and polishes are usually not needed on painted furniture, but if you do use a wax on a light-colored painted piece, use a white, cream type polish to avoid discoloration. Never use oil, oil polishes, or oil-treated cloths on painted furniture.
A very old piece with its original finish should usually not be repainted or refinished, because you risk ruining its value.
expert advice
Pitch the Plastic >
Modern furniture finishes and plastic don't mix. Actually, they mix too well--so keep the two apart. Finishes applied to furniture within the last 10 years or so have chemical properties that can mix with the chemicals in plastic or rubber (a plastic tablecloth, for instance), says Bruce Chadima, owner of Chadima Furniture and Restoration in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This "plasticizer migration" damages the furniture's finished surface, so make sure to put a material such as felt between your furniture's surface and any plastic or rubber covering.
To make your own furniture cleaner for removing old polish and dirt, put 1 quart of water in a pot on the stove, add 2 tea bags, and bring to a boil. Cool the solution to room temperture. Dip a soft cloth in the tea and wring the cloth until it's damp. Wipe the furniture, buff it dry with a soft cloth, and decide whether you should polish it.
To make you own furniture polish, follow either of these formulas:
See also Antiques, Bronze, Chrome, Fiberglass, Glass, Marble, upholstery, and Wicker.
A Nutty Cure for Watermarks
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your wood furniture needs regular maintenance just as surely as your car does. Consider that dining room table you bought a few years ago. Wouldn't it be nice if, years down the road, your grand-children prized it as an anitque?
Figure out what type of finish your furniture has is the first order of business. If your furniture has it the first order of business. If your furniture has an oil finish, you should only dust and re-oil it. If it has the core common hard finish--such as varnish or lacquer--you have more options.
Oil finish or a hard finish? Here's how you tell the difference. Put a few drops of boiled linseed oil on the wood and rub it in with your finger. If the wood absorbs the oil, you have an oil finish. If the boiled linseed oil beads up, you have a hard varnished or lacquered finish.
To clean oiled furniture, dust with a dry cloth. Don't use a dust-attracting product on the cloth, and make sure the cloth is soft and free of buttons, zippers, and anything else that might scratch the wood. Then apply oil to the wood (boiled linseed oil, tung oil, or an oil recommended by the furniture's manufacturer). Rub the oil in with a clean cloth. Do this an average of once a month. So you've been neglectful? Re-oil your furniture every two weeks for a couple of months to allow it to catch up on missing oil.
To protect oiled furniture, never put cloth items or water on it.Cloth items will absorb the moisture from the oil and dry out your furniture. Unfortunately, oil offers the least protection of any finish--get any water on it and you're done--yet it requires the highest maintenance.
To clean varnished or lacquered furniture, dust first with a soft rag or stick duster. It's OK to add a little dust-attracting product, such as Endust, to the rag or duster but not straight onto the furniture. Let it dry before you dust. If necessary, you can clean hard-finished furniture with a damp cloth and mild detergent, such as Dawn. Now you're ready to polish.
To protect a hard finish, apply a furniture polish, such as Old English in an aerosol can. First, mist the surface of the furniture and use one area of a rag to spread the polish, wiping in a circular motion. Turn the rag over and wipe off the excess polish. Avoid polishes that consist mostly of silicone and paraffin wax, because both of these ingredients tend to build up and eventually soften or ruin a finish.
To clean furnished or lacquered kitchen furniture, you'll need to take a different approach, because it is exposed to grease and cooking oils. Use a cloth that has been barely dampened with dishwashing detergent and water to remove the oily substances. Follow up with a cloth dampened with plain water and then polish. For more cleaning power, use an oil soap, such as Murphy, diluted according to the package directions. (Test an inconspicuous spot first.) Polish your kitchen table at least three times a week. Every three months, clean it using the mineral spirits method described in the next paragraph.
To give a hard fiish a thorough cleaning and remove built up wax, you'll need a few very soft rags. Old diapers that have been wahsed many times are splendid. Soak one rag with mineral spirits. Wipe your furniture thoroughly, flipping the rag frequently. Thoroughly go over all areas several times with the rag, and don't be afraid to apply more mineral spirits frequently. Now dry the surface completely with a soft, dry rag. Repeat this wiping and drying process at least three times using a fresh rag each time.
Once the furniture is clean, you can polish. Spray the polish on the wood and rub it in with a rag, going in a circular motion. Now use another clean, soft rag--or flip the polishing rag to a dry spot--and wipe with the grain of the wood to remove excess polish. Carved wood should be cleaned in the same way, regualrly with polish and once a year with mineral spirits. The only difference is that you'll need a soft toothbrush to get into the intricate carved details.
If a finish has become sticky, this usually means it has failed--the result of too much polish buildup, exposure to oils over the years, or the finish's having degraded over time. Use mineral spirits and superfine steel wool (0000) to remove the old finish, rubbing with the grain of the wood. Wipe three or four times with a rag and fresh mineral spirits. When you're done, the furniture will have to be refinished. Talk to a professional or follow the package directions on the finishing product you choose. Don't do this to a valuable antique. Take it to a pro.
To clean painted wood furniture, dust it with a water-dampened cloth. If necessary, use a mild, nonabrasive detergent (such as dishwashig detergent) and warm water. Dip a rag into the cleaning solution and wring it nearly dry. Work on a small section of wood at a time. Rinse with clear water. Dry the surface with a clean cloth quickly before continuing.
Waxes and polishes are usually not needed on painted furniture, but if you do use a wax on a light-colored painted piece, use a white, cream type polish to avoid discoloration. Never use oil, oil polishes, or oil-treated cloths on painted furniture.
A very old piece with its original finish should usually not be repainted or refinished, because you risk ruining its value.
expert advice
Pitch the Plastic >
Modern furniture finishes and plastic don't mix. Actually, they mix too well--so keep the two apart. Finishes applied to furniture within the last 10 years or so have chemical properties that can mix with the chemicals in plastic or rubber (a plastic tablecloth, for instance), says Bruce Chadima, owner of Chadima Furniture and Restoration in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This "plasticizer migration" damages the furniture's finished surface, so make sure to put a material such as felt between your furniture's surface and any plastic or rubber covering.
To make your own furniture cleaner for removing old polish and dirt, put 1 quart of water in a pot on the stove, add 2 tea bags, and bring to a boil. Cool the solution to room temperture. Dip a soft cloth in the tea and wring the cloth until it's damp. Wipe the furniture, buff it dry with a soft cloth, and decide whether you should polish it.
To make you own furniture polish, follow either of these formulas:
- Mix 1/3 cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of olive oil
- Mix 3 drops of lemon extract and 1 cup of mineral oil.
You can substiute baby oil for the olive or mineral oil. Rub the polish into the surface with a clean rag, using circular motions.
Here are some more tips for dealing with special situations involving your wood furniture:
Here are some more tips for dealing with special situations involving your wood furniture:
- Removing candle wax from furniture is risky because you can cause further damage. Use ice directly on the wax to get it as cold as possible and immediately wipe up excess water. Once the wax is very cold, try carefully inserting a butter knife under the wax to see whether it will pop off. If this method doesn't work, don't attempting anything else. Consult a professional.
- If you have a fresh paint stain on your furniture, remove latex paint with water, remove alkyd (oil-based) paint with mineral spirits. To remove a dry stain, saturate the spot in boiled linseed oil. After the paint softens, lift in off carefully with a putty knife. An alternative:Wipe with a cloth dampened in the boiled linseed oil. Remove residue by making a paste of boiled linseed oil and rottenstone, a polishing powder sold where you buy refinishing supplies. Rub the paste along the grain, and then wipe it dry and wax or polish it.
- If paper is stuck to your wood furniture, dampen the paper thoroughly with salad oil, wait five minutes, and rub along the grain with superfine (0000) steel wool. Wipe dry.
See also Antiques, Bronze, Chrome, Fiberglass, Glass, Marble, upholstery, and Wicker.
A Nutty Cure for Watermarks
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Get a white water spot on the finish of your dining room table? Peanut butter into the finish with a soft rag, over and over in a circular motion, says furniture store owner, Bruce Chadima. If scratches appear, reapply, following the grain. The oils and abrasion from the peanuts will have a renewing effect on the finish.
Next, take a dry cloth and wipe well. If the area now appears shinier than the rest of the surface, apply to the spot a car wax with a mild cleaner in it, such as Turtlewax or Meguiar's. Then polish your furniture.
The peanut butte method works miracles, particularly with hazy-white water spots. Solid white water spots and the more severe black water spots probably require the attention of a professional restorer.
Flur
Get a white water spot on the finish of your dining room table? Peanut butter into the finish with a soft rag, over and over in a circular motion, says furniture store owner, Bruce Chadima. If scratches appear, reapply, following the grain. The oils and abrasion from the peanuts will have a renewing effect on the finish.
The peanut butte method works miracles, particularly with hazy-white water spots. Solid white water spots and the more severe black water spots probably require the attention of a professional restorer.
Flur
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Exquisite to look at and soft to the touch, fur is also a work of art--one of the last completely handmade articles of clothing. If you have a fur coat, treat it with the respect it deserves. There is plenty you can do to preserve your fur's head-turning quality, but the actual cleaning is really the realm of professional furriers. If you try to clean--or even brush--your fur yourself, you most likely will damage it. The advice here applies whether your fur is the real thing or fake.
Have your fur cleaned regularly by a fur specialist, not a dry cleaner. Fur should be cleaned or serviced once a year, unless it has hardly been worn. In that case, have it cleaning you can do yourself: To give your coat a light dusting, put the coat on a hanger, hold the neck of the hanger, and shake the coat.
When you put away your coat between uses, it needs to breathe. Never keep a fur coat bagged. It will eventually dry out. If you insist on some kind of covering, use a cotton bag, which allows for some breathing.
If your fur coat gets wet, let it dry on its own. Don't place it by a radiator or attempt to blow-dry it. The skin will burn, and it will get hard and stiff because the oils in the skin will be drying our too. Fur will easily stand up to snow or light rain, but if your fur gets totally soaked, take it to a professional furrier right away.
To store any type of fur coat, place it in a cold storage (45 degrees F) unit with a constant humidity (50%). Once the first frost appears, fur coats can be taken out of storage. Retailers, department stores, or dry cleaners store fur coats, but they usually send the coats to wholesalers, which have large fur storage vaults. It's a good idea to research where your coat will be stored.
expert advice
Travelling a Fur Piece? >
Exquisite to look at and soft to the touch, fur is also a work of art--one of the last completely handmade articles of clothing. If you have a fur coat, treat it with the respect it deserves. There is plenty you can do to preserve your fur's head-turning quality, but the actual cleaning is really the realm of professional furriers. If you try to clean--or even brush--your fur yourself, you most likely will damage it. The advice here applies whether your fur is the real thing or fake.
Have your fur cleaned regularly by a fur specialist, not a dry cleaner. Fur should be cleaned or serviced once a year, unless it has hardly been worn. In that case, have it cleaning you can do yourself: To give your coat a light dusting, put the coat on a hanger, hold the neck of the hanger, and shake the coat.
When you put away your coat between uses, it needs to breathe. Never keep a fur coat bagged. It will eventually dry out. If you insist on some kind of covering, use a cotton bag, which allows for some breathing.
If your fur coat gets wet, let it dry on its own. Don't place it by a radiator or attempt to blow-dry it. The skin will burn, and it will get hard and stiff because the oils in the skin will be drying our too. Fur will easily stand up to snow or light rain, but if your fur gets totally soaked, take it to a professional furrier right away.
To store any type of fur coat, place it in a cold storage (45 degrees F) unit with a constant humidity (50%). Once the first frost appears, fur coats can be taken out of storage. Retailers, department stores, or dry cleaners store fur coats, but they usually send the coats to wholesalers, which have large fur storage vaults. It's a good idea to research where your coat will be stored.
expert advice
Travelling a Fur Piece? >
Marc Rubman, vice president at furs.com, offers these guidelines;
- Don't pin jewelry on it, and avoid sharp necklaces or bracelets. Use shoulder bags sparingly.
- Wear a scarf around your neck to protect the collar of your fur.
- Avoid insecticides, mothproofing, and other chemicals around your fur, including perfume and hair spray.
- Get into your car carefully. Don't sit on fur, or at least don't sit on the same spot consistently. when you exit your vehicle, shake out any crushed places.
- At a restaurant, if the coatroom, keep your coat. Fold it on a chair at your table and cover with a napkin.
- On a plane, leave it on your lap or fold it loosely, lining out, and place it in an overhead bin on top of the language.
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