Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/Cleaning furniture

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Expert: - 3/2/2010


Question
What is the best product, either store bought or homemade, to use to clean old sticky furniture polish off wood furniture, specifically backs of chairs? When I sit against the back of the chair and then lean forward, my clothes stick to the wood.

Answer
Hi Sandy, this may be a sign of finish deterioration, not just polish build up.Usually wax and polish build up doesn't get sticky, just greasy and cruddy (a technical term...lol). If it's really sticky, that's usually a sign that the finish is breaking down, or has been affected by a cleaning agent not designed for finished wood. Things that contain chlorine bleach, methanol, or ammonia for instance, can attack a finish. Mineral spirits will clean off any old wax, grease, finger oils, etc....but if it's still sticky after that, you'll need to have it refinished. Formby's, Minwax, and others make a good furniture cleaners,and you can generally find them at Amazon or a good hardware store.The Minwax cleaner claims to be water soluble and solvent free, but it does have alkylaminopolyethoxylpolypropoxylpropanol and cocoamphodipropionate. Anything that has ingredients with 41 letters and 21 more letters in it just HAS to be good....regards- Greg

Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks

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Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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