How to remove years of grime off wooden furniture?

Question

How to remove years of grime off wooden furniture?

Answer 1

My guess would be to get some murphey's oil, put it in a bucket of hot water and scrub away using some elbow grease.

Answer 2

If this is valued furniture with a decent-quality varnish or lacquer finish, buy some lemon oil and go at it with a cotton cloth. Lemon oil will actually revitalize the finish. Soaps and cleaners will not, they will clean the article but they also take a bit of a toll on the finish. Murphy's Oil Soap is the least offender and is not so bad to use.

But the big problem with using soaps is that you are also needing to introduce water to the piece of furniture which is a cardinal no-no. Water will get into any joints and loose the glue, or be absorbed into the wood causing preventable and undesirable swelling of the wood and/or will cause the varnished or lacquered finish to de-laminate from the wood.  

I used to also use a formula passed down from my family, who were in the antiques business and did a lot of furniture refinishing and restoring. Their formula was a three part mixture of equal parts turpentine, linseed oil and white vinegar.

Answer 3

murphy's oil soap mixed with lemon juice and hot water and a green scrub pad

Answer 4

I clean everything that I can with this stuff called "awsome" it cleans everything easily without no effort I got it from the dollar store its a all purpose cleaner GOOD LUCK

Answer 5

Here is the procedure I use.

http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/htdocs...

I also use a stronger cleaner when necessary, Guardsman Kitchen Cabinet Wipes.  I did a job a while back where the owner had washed the piece 4 times with Murphy's before giving up and calling me.  I could turn a wipe black in about every square foot.

Answer 6

do you mean inside finished furniture or outsude patio furnuture?

if it is the outside, i always use a power washer with bleach siphoning into it to keep the mold and stuff off

Answer 7

I'd give the 10 to Kourtney. It's Murphys Oil SOAP, and since we don't know the species of wood, any finish under the grime, or any value of the furniture, Murphys would be a safe way to start.

Just my 2 "sense"