Removing Furniture Polish Build Up from Wood Furniture

Murphy's Oil Soap is excellent for this.

There are several ways to do this but the hutch needs to be in a well ventilated area.

• I like using an ammonia/water mixture as it does a very good job and is easy to do.
• With ammonia you have to have a well ventilated area, gloves, maybe a mask if you have problems with fumes at all, 2 buckets, water, ammonia, and several cleaning rags (preferably white or light color).
• Here is a link that gives full directions (as well as several other methods):
• www.howtocleanstuff.net/.../

Combine equal amounts of water and white vinegar. Wipe the area with the solution. Wipe the area with a dry cloth afterward to remove the excess liquid. Since most furniture polish is oil-based, a grease-cutting dish liquid can work well to remove it.

http://www.howt  olish-from-wood/

The vinegar solution will work. Here is an article that will give you all the steps. http://homeguid  ildup-23858.html

Quote from a professional restorer.
"Wood is delicate and exposure to excessive moisture should be avoided as moisture can cause wood to acquire mold and change its structure, causing it to expand or deform."
Professional refinishers many times recommend using Guardsman Wood Furniture Cleaner. But it may make your furniture appear dull (as most any cleaning solution will do) so you may want to then use Guardsman Wax Free Furniture Polish.
Here are a couple of sites that have some useful information.

http://housewif  ildup-furniture/

http://www.thri  d-Furniture.html

Equal part of water and vinegar.

Here is a good thread to browse: http://www.thri  d-Furniture.html

From This Old House: Scrape away excess wax, then apply heat with a blow dryer set to MEDIUM, wiping off the wax with a rag as it softens. Wash the area with hot, soapy water to remove residue.

Try Murphy's Oil Soap.

If your grandfather clock is very old or an antique, you may consider not removing any finish as an antique wood grandfather clock may be more valuable as is. However, if this is not a concern, there are many online sites with excellent directions for removing oil buildup.

Using stripper on furniture, is very hard on the wood. A better solution is to use a two sanding method. Using a lower grade sanding paper like 80ty grit for example is tougher to go through old paint and varnish. Then use a sanding grit of 120, 180, or 200 depending on the the wood. Softer woods like teak, pine, and maple need higher grades of sanding paper as to not damage the wood. Then sand the furniture with this to soften the wood item before applying stain, or a new coat of paint. Works well for me as a refinisher without using strippers that have toxic fumes and may damage the wood.

Get some Ivory liquid dish soap and a wash cloth. Do small areas at a time and dry each spot before going to the next. You will find it will be a lot lighter in color because the wax has darkened over the years with the build up.

You can also buy Fornby's furniture restorer and that will remove the old wax. I found it expensive before the job was done so weigh you choices.

You may also try paint thinner on a non showing spot and see if it will remove the wax like you want with less work and expense. Don't take it to a refinisher as he will dip it in a caustic stuff that weakens the glue joints. A favorite with some so called antique dealers. Personnaly I like the soap method and have done 4 dining room sets this way over the years... no mistakes this way.

This picture is 1/2 table top I did this way over 20 years ago and when I finished cleaning it I put 7 coats of Tung oil on it. For the past 3 years it has been a ramp from my living room to the carport for my wheel chair and still like new.

To remove furniture polish build up you will need White Vinegar, Water, and a Soft Cotton Lint Free Cloth

Step 1
Mix a solution of equal parts of White Vinegar and Water.

Step 2
Dampen a soft cotton lint free cloth with the solution, and use it to wipe the surface of the table to break down and remove the wax build up.

Step 3
Follow the grain of the wood with each stroke.

Mix 1 part white vinegar and 1 part water in a spray bottle. Spray smaller areas and use a lint free cloth to wipe with the grain. If a lot build up you may have to apply vinegar mixture more than once.
A good silicone free and homemade furniture polish is:
1c olive
1/4 c white vinegar
2-3 drops lemon essential oil (optional)
Mix in spray bottle, lightly spray lint free cloth and wipe furniture with the grain, for heavier clean and shine spray directly on furniture and wipe.

One part vinegar and one part water, applied with a microfiber cloth.

I have over polished my dining table. It has now gone cloudy and smeared. How can I make it look good?

By Emma B from England

Answers:

Removing Furniture Polish Build Up

Equal parts vinegar and water and if that doesn't work (because of way too much polish build up) try Murphy's Oil Soap. (11/28/2009)

By Ann

How do you remove furniture polish build-up from a wooden dining room table?

By Tracy from Phoenix, AZ

Answers:

Removing Furniture Polish Build Up

My mother-in-law had some old nasty furniture that was not only covered with excess furniture polish after many years, but she was also a heavy smoker, so it was also covered with nicotine. To clean it, I used straight ammonia (with the windows open!) and left the ammonia to sit for a few minutes then repeat again if needed. After the furniture dried I applied Old English scratch-repair furniture polish then buffed it with a soft cloth.

When my mother-in-law came home to her newly fixed-up house she thought we had bought new furniture. It looked so nice she couldn't believe it was hers. And all I used was ammonia and Old English scratch-repair furniture oil. (Both available at any super market.)

* Use regular ammonia, not the sudsy kind and rinse well, then let dry before applying the Old English. Old English scratch-repair comes in dark and light. Pick the color that matches your furniture. (02/15/2010)

Removing Furniture Polish Build Up

I would not use ammonia. I do much furniture refinishing and will often times use ammonia to remove varnish. Ammonia often times takes off a finish for me. The furniture Cyinda cleaned must have had a finish on it, that ammonia doesn't remove. Please be very careful using ammonia to clean furniture. You could have a bigger problem on your hands! (02/18/2010)

By Sharon Cross