I have a fifty year old dark pine dining room set that needs a good cleaning to make it shine again. What can I use?
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
I would use Murphys Oil Soap
My nana would never put anything on her wood furniture but a small drop of dish soap on a white cotton rag that was slightly damp or if it was really dirty, she would break out the mineral spirits and dip the rag into it and clean.
I have no clue if mineral spirits still exist today, but dish soap certainly does and it is inexpensive. Back then she would have used Joy or Lux or whatever was the cheapest. Today, I would use plain old blue Dawn (the simple, not the extra strength) and an old white tee COTTON shirt (this allows you to see the dirt coming up. Don't use anything with poly or rayon as it can scratch.
Test it on a the underside in a place that you can be sure it will not damage the finish and work in small circles being careful not to press to hard or scratch the furniture with your finger nails.
If a good cleaning like this does not work, you may want to consider sanding and re staining (but that would be the last resort).
Post back with before and after photos!! Happy cleaning!
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!