| Cleaning the finish on furniture can involve more than | | | | Paint Spatter |
| just wiping now and then with a damp cloth or | | | | When you roll latex paint onto walls and ceilings, the |
| furniture polish. Foreign matter can become stuck to | | | | roller throws off tiny droplets of paint that land on |
| the surface and require a more complex cleaning | | | | you and everything else in the room. If you don't |
| procedure. Here are several common examples and | | | | cover your furniture well, you may find these |
| how to deal with each. | | | | droplets stuck to the finish. |
| Stickers and Tape | | | | For a few days you may be able to remove the |
| Many retail stores and moving companies put labeling | | | | droplets by rubbing with a cloth dampened with |
| stickers with prices and other information on | | | | water, or soap and water. But once the droplets |
| furniture. If these stickers aren't removed within a | | | | have hardened, you will need to rub them with a |
| few months they can become so stuck to the | | | | solvent. |
| surface that you can't peel them off. Because the | | | | The solvent to use is toluene or xylene, which is the |
| glues that are used on these stickers vary, it's not | | | | active solvent in commercial products such as Goof |
| possible to identify one solvent that will dissolve | | | | Off and Oops!. Be very careful using one of these |
| every one. In many cases the solvent that works | | | | solvents on water-based finish or latex paint. |
| best, in fact, also dissolves the finish. | | | | Unlike latex paint, oil paint cannot be removed easily |
| Usually, the safest way to remove these stickers is | | | | from another paint or finish without also damaging it. |
| to soften the paper with water (as you do to | | | | Only a very strong solvent such as lacquer thinner or |
| remove paper labels from jars), then peel off the | | | | paint stripper will soften oil paint, and these solvents |
| paper and either rub off the glue with your finger or | | | | will dissolve or soften every other paint or finish on |
| soften it with a petroleum-distillate solvent and then | | | | the piece, too. To remove oil paint with the least |
| rub it off. | | | | damage to the underlying paint or finish, you usually |
| Petroleum-distillate solvents include mineral spirits | | | | have to scrape or abrade the paint off the surface. |
| (paint thinner), which is the weakest, naphtha, xylene | | | | Felt-tip Pen Marks |
| (xylol) and toluene (toluol), which is the strongest | | | | The binder used in felt-tip pens and Magic Markers is |
| solvent. All are available at paint stores and home | | | | similar to shellac in that it is usually soluble in alcohol, |
| centers, as is turpentine, a pine-sap distillate, which | | | | so the obvious cleaner is alcohol. Of course, you |
| has a solvent strength similar to naphtha. | | | | won't be able to avoid damaging a shellac surface, |
| None of these solvents causes damage to any finish | | | | and you will need to be very careful on lacquer and |
| except wax and water base unless they remain in | | | | water-based finish. |
| contact for a considerable time. They all remove | | | | Mold and Mildew |
| wax; and xylene and toluene will damage a | | | | Mold and mildew are bacteria that thrive in damp |
| water-based finish. | | | | conditions common in cellars. It doesn't do much good |
| Masking and Scotch tape are more difficult to | | | | to remove the mold or mildew from the surface if |
| remove because you can't use water to separate | | | | you don't kill the spores. To do this, mix equal parts |
| the tape from the glue. You will have to work a | | | | of household bleach and water, and wipe the surface |
| solvent under the tape. Toluene and xylene are best | | | | using a cotton cloth or sponge. The bleach won't |
| (except on water-based finishes) because of their | | | | damage any finish, but the water will if it gets under |
| strength. Other solvents such as alcohol and lacquer | | | | the finish and into the wood. So don't soak the cloth. |
| thinner may damage the finish. | | | | To aid in the cleaning you can add a pH-neutral soap |
| In extreme cases, you may have to scrape or | | | | such as dishwashing liquid. Then wipe the surface |
| abrade off the tape and then repair the damage to | | | | with a clean, damp cloth to remove any residue that |
| the finish. Sometimes there's a color difference in the | | | | might be left from the bleach or soap. Carefully dry |
| wood or finish under the sticker or tape because this | | | | off the surface with a dry cloth. To keep the mold |
| area was shielded from light. | | | | and mildew from returning, place the furniture in drier |
| Candle Wax | | | | conditions. |
| You can remove candle wax from a finish a little at a | | | | Wrinkled Finishes |
| time by rubbing with a petroleum-distillate dampened | | | | A dirty, wrinkled and often sticky finish on chair arms |
| cloth. But it is much faster to use ice to crystallize | | | | and backs, edges of tables, and around knobs and |
| the wax and then pick it off the surface. | | | | pulls is usually the result of the finish having been |
| Hold an ice cube against the wax for five or 10 | | | | broken down by repeated contact with mild acids or |
| seconds to freeze it. Then pick the wax off the | | | | alkalis. The most common culprit is acidic body oil or |
| surface with your fingernail and remove any that | | | | sweat from peoples' hands, arms and backs. |
| remains with a petroleum-distillate solvent. | | | | Repeated washings with an alkali soap can also cause |
| If you don't have any ice handy, you can cut or | | | | this problem. |
| scrape off the majority of the wax with a chisel, | | | | You can try washing the finish with a mild soap such |
| knife or plastic credit card. Then remove the rest | | | | as dishwashing liquid. If this doesn't correct the |
| with a petroleum distillate. | | | | problem, you can try rubbing with steel wool to |
| Crayon Marks | | | | abrade off the surface of the finish and expose |
| Because crayons are wax, you should be able to | | | | good finish underneath. Usually the finish is destroyed |
| remove crayon marks by wiping with any | | | | all the way through, however, so it has to be |
| petroleum-distillate solvent, turpentine or even | | | | removed and replaced to fix the problem. |
| furniture polish. But if the finish is so thin that the | | | | The Ultimate Fix |
| crayon has gotten into the wood, you may have | | | | With the possible exception of the wrinkled finish, all |
| difficulty removing all the color. Try washing the | | | | of these problems can be corrected by abrading -- in |
| surface several times with the petroleum distillate. It | | | | effect, rubbing out the finish, or at least a part of it. |
| may help to scrub the affected area lightly with a | | | | But this may cause sheen differences, so try the |
| toothbrush. | | | | methods I suggest above first. |