Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - how do i clean seriously filthy, but beautiful table?

i found treasure out in the barn, but it is so dirty. A beautiful library table with claw feet, i need to clean this up and posibly refinish it, can you tell me what to use?

Before you attempt to clean your new found treasure, find out if it is a valuable antique. If it is, you could ruin the "collectability", (read monetary value) by removing the original finish. That is one of the very points of antique collecting, the original finish. Have the table examined by an appropriate appraiser before doing anything else. You may be advised to have the table professionally cleaned. It is possible you have a valuble piece on your hands. Don't ruin it by DIYing the thing. Good luck!!!!

is there any way to clean it without ruining the finish?, i need to use this piece in the house, i don't want to hurt the value of this peice, but it is a family piece, and wouldn't be sold at anytime in the near future.

Varnish and Paint makers Naphtha (VM&P Naphtha) is eexcellent for cleaning old finishes. It removes dirt, oil, grease and wax, has no residue of its own, and will not hamr any cured finish. Should be available at any good paint store.

Applied and wipe with rgas. As an extreme measure (REALLY dirty), scrub with a plastic scrubbie (the mesh type used for dishes) - DON'T USE THE SCOTCHBRITE PADS FOR THIS.

Naphtha is highly flammable. Appropriate precautions should be taken.

I concur with jajamase in seeking a professional opinion on the value of the piece.

It really can't hurt to have the table appraised first. If you're dead set on cleaning it, there is something you can try, but it's digusting and messy and all. A product called Vulpex -- a nasty bottle of smelly stuff -- and some mineral spirits and water. Wear rubber gloves (dish gloves are good) and use a lot of ventilation -- doing this outdoors is even better. Pour about 1 cup mineral spirits and 1 cup water into a GLASS bowl, then add about a tablespoon or so of Vulpex. This concoction doesn't mix well, so each time you dip your rag or scrubbie in, swish it around. Wash the entire table with this mix, and here's the really fun part: you'll have to do it over and over again, making new batches of the mix, until the piece is CLEAN. The last few batches of the mix can be used with paper towels -- you can really tell how clean it's getting then.

Dispose of this nasty mixture by sealing it in a plastic container, then putting it in the outdoor trash in a sealed bag. Toss your gloves and rags and scrubbies, etc into a sealed bag as well.

Next, dry the table completely, and go with the Naptha. You can use rags and/or paper towels to go over and over the table until the towels no longer show a residue. Dispose of flammables accordingly and use ventilation and gloves, as before.

Your table may look pretty dry after this cleaning, and spots and marks and such that weren't apparent under the filth may now show up and make you miserable. Then you have to decide if you want to finish it yourself or get it done elsewhere. :)

hey there,
i actually used naptha to clean the table, it did a great job. this table was in the barn and raccons had used it as a 'potty chair'. plus coverd in dust for 15-17 years. i learned how to check what the finish was on this board, it was shellac, orange shellac, so i took the remainer off the top of the table and then just brushed over the sides and the legs. this table is now the table for my computer, and its just gorgous, plus no smell from the raccon urine,ect.
thank you all for your help. mauri

I have an oak mantle that was stripped 15 years ago. It has been in storage for all that time and became very dirty. I used mineral spirits to clean it and it seems clean. But I just read all of this and wondered if I should do more with some of the cleaning methods you described. I also have two other questions. The wood seems dry. Should I use something on it before applying polyurethene? Also, there are dark black stains on the top of the mantel. I tried sanding but they don't come out. Is there anything to lighten or remove them? They are not cigarette burns but are quarter sized blotches.

Since you've already cleaned the mantel with min spirits, you could just try going over it with some naptha to see if anything more comes off. Let it dry well, and then get some oxalic (sp?) acid to bleach the wood of the stains you mention. White vinegar should be used as a rinse after oxalic acid -- it neutralizes the acid and stops its action. Once again, this is a stinky process.

Personally, I wouldn't use polyurethane to finish the mantel -- I'd use shellac as mentioned above. it gives a much nice, authentic sheen, and you really can't get polyurethane to mimic that. And yes, shellac will waterproof your mantel -- BUT -- after finishing something with shellac, always set the piece aside to dry for a few weeks. Shellac can take a very long time to set up permanently, and if you put something on a freshly-shellacked surface, you risk making an impression in the finish.

Wow! I have been refinishing furniture off and on for 20 years and I thought poly was the only finish that was waterproof. You are right that it doesn't give an authentic finnish. I will try the shellac because this is a very beautiful piece. It has "scallopped" (for a lack of a better discription) columns and beautiful beading. Thanks again for your help.

You know, I really have no idea how shellac would hold up as a "true" waterproofer, such as a piece that would be outdoors. But if your mantel will be in the house (I'm guessing it will be) and you put nothing on it for several weeks, it should be fine. The more coats of shellac you apply the longer it will take to cure, but if you apply MANY thin coats the finish will be "deeper" and more clear than if you glop on a few thick coats. If you've not much experience with shellacking fine furniture, I'd recommend practicing on a piece of wood first, because like many refinishing materials, shellacking can bring you to tears of rage trying to get it right. The drips and runs are the worst, and you have to chase them with your brush before they set.

After your finish has set for just a day or so (providing it's not too rainy or humid), you can adjust the sheen by sanding with extremely fine sandpaper if you prefer a matte finish. You can also bring up the sheen to a very high satin by french polishing with a cheesecloth and extremely fine ground pumice and water, but that's a technique that takes a lot of practice, so once again, practice on something you don't care about if you decide to go that route.

Your mantel sounds lovely! Good luck and have fun. :)