Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - Shellac/Varnish/Poly

How can I tell what finish is on these antiques to know whether or not the baby wipes are pulling off finish?

Help!! I'm lost!!

Stacey

Despite the type of finish you have, baby wipes are not a recommended furniture cleaner.
http://www.woodmagazine.com/woodbasics/vendors/mcfeely/classes/whatfinish.htm

Read the label on the baby wipes. Most contain alcohol, oils, and other ingredients that may be detrimental to your furniture.

This is what the Smithsonian says about cleaning furniture http://www.si.edu/scmre/furnbook.html#Cleaning%20Surfaces
Note that popular sprays and polishes are not recommended because they contain ingredients such as waxes, silicone, and oils that can soften and dull finishes.

And, the American Institute for Conservation:
http://aic.stanford.edu/treasure/furn.html

Learn something new every day...

When I had youngsters who needed baby wipes - they hadn't been invented yet!

Please note the first ref by Twelvepole specifically mentions naphtha fop cleaning - while the second suggests nothing stronger than water.

Naphtha will NOT hurt any cured finish.

Thanks Everybody! The Naptha or the Mineral spirits did not remove any visible dirt. Then NON-alcohol baby wipes I used removed a significant amount of dirt, unless it was shellac and it was removing the finish, which I have yet to determine using the tricks on that first website that twelvepole referred me to.

These antiques are starting to make me wonder what I got myself into!!! : )

Stacey:

Just as a favor, send me a private message on this site or an email (or post it if you want) the brand name of the baby wipes.