You are here:
- Home
- Hobbies
- Woodworking
- Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks
- Dried Out Cabinets
Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/Dried Out Cabinets
Advertisement
Question
Hi Gregg, I have two questions.
1)We purchased cherry cabinets for our bonus room which I use as a pottery studio. After just four years the cabinets, and my shelving are all dried out. I am sure it is from the clay dust which dries things out. I use Bona on the hickory floors every two weeks and they still look great, but only dust the cabinets with a dry rag. My husband suggested I use Pledge on them. I have also considered cleaning them with Murphy's Oil Soap or some other kind of oil. However, I do not want to do anything that will cause me trouble down the road. So I am holding off on doing anything at the moment. Any product suggestions you have for resorting the cabinets luster and then maintaining it would be appreciated. 2) We have also recently remodeled our kitchen. We installed some very high quality cherry cabinets and I am wondering what I should use to care for them as well. They look fantastic and I want to make sure they stay that way for years to come.
I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you, Donna
Hi Donna, the first thing I would do is to wash them with some warm soapy water and hand dry them with clean rags or a dish towel as you go...that will probably remove quite a bit of the clay residue, as well as dirt, build up and grime.Pledge is a no-no in my opinion, as it contains Silicones, and I dislike it quite strongly.An oil based polish like the Guardsman product is a good choice, but I am also not big on these sprays for regular maintenance...they can build up if overused, and hasten the finish issues you want to avoid. Modern cabinet finishes are very tough and durable, and a wipe down with a damp rag and hand drying is really all they should occasionally need...the polish could be applied a few times a YEAR...but that's really it...and it's important to wipe it off extremely well so as not to leave residue behind. The MAIN mistake people make is to over apply these products.....post back if need be, if the washing doesn't revive the studios cabinets then post back and we'll go from there- regards- Greg
Related Articles
- Share Your Organization Tips - How do you organize your homeschool supplies?
- Braided Bread Recipe - Seed and Poppy Seed Covered Braid - Braided Bread Recipe
- Hungarian Sour Cherry Soup Recipe - Recipe for Hungarian Sour Cherry Soup or Meggy Leves
- Sour Cherry Spoon Sweet - Greek Recipe for Vyssino Glyko tou Koutaliou - Sour Cherries in Syrup
- Cherry Spoon Sweet - Greek Recipe for Kerasi Glyko tou Koutaliou - Cherry Preserves
Answers by Expert:
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.
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.