Expert: Jamie Yocono - 5/4/2007

Question
I have a beautiful but well used Ethan Allen oval kitchen table with white legs.  After time of cleaning, waxing, etc it is very dull and streaked which seems not to want to change.  Is there a deeper cleaning application I can try.  Thank you.

Answer
Hi Cecelia,

You win the prize for the sending the same question the most times.  :)  

You didn't mention what the finish is on the table top, but I'm assuming it's a natural Maple with just a clear finish.

There is a good product made by Formby's called Formby'sŪ Conditioning Furniture Refinisher.  It's sort of an all-in-one product, as it dissolves the old finish, and reconditions the wood all at the same time. If you cut and paste this link in your browser, you can see what they have to say about it on their website:   http://www.formbys.com/products/refinisher.cfm

Now normally, this won't give you the same result as what a deeper stripping and refinishing job would do. But if the buildup isn't too bad, this product will work just fine for your table top. The good news is- you can probably find this at your local Lowes or Home Depot. In fact, I was just at Lowes today and saw this product, as I was looking for some paste wax and they were right next to each other!

The only alternative to this product could be completely stripping and refinishing your table top.  But it doesn't sound like your top is damaged (like with scratches or burns) so I think stripping it is a last resort. I would try the Formsby product first and see how it works before you go to trouble of stripping and refinishing, which is a much bigger job.

OK, good luck, I hope this helps. Please feel free to write back if you have any further questions after reading this. And if this answer was helpful... please take a minute and rate my service. Thanks!

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com