I just bought a house and the banisters are gummy-sticky dirty. You can actually scrape some of the yucky stuff off them. I'm wondering if there is anything that would dissolve this stuff. They are nice wood so I don't want to mess them up. Thanks!
Have you tried Goo Gone?
Yeah, I would suggest anything citrus-based. It'll make the wood super shiny, too!
Hi, there's a product called "Cabinet Magic" that I used on my kitchen cabinets and it really did a nice job. It removed the grease and grim...the kind that can dull the finish and they look great. I believe it was purchase at Home Depot. They do have a website...www.magicamerican.com
For older house: I cleaned the banister in my (100-year-old) house with mineral spirits and a lint-free cloth. It will remove wax and scunge without removing the shellac or varnish underneath. This is not for routine cleaning, just for once-a-decade cleaning; test in an inconspicuous place first. After cleaning you can rewax.
I cleaned my grandmothers 125 year old bannister with Murphy's Oil Soap. Good for wood.
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I need to repair and or clean my banister. There is gooey gummy black stuff caked on. I do not want to take off the cherry finish.
It is not a good banister, but one I do not want to replace. Any suggestions? I do not have a photo.Murphy's is a GREAT first step. If you don't get good results, you might do what my mother did to clean her wood kitchen cabinets. It's a more extensive process but yielded significantly-cleaner cabinets. She applied a turpentine & linseed oil mixture with fine steel wool. Sorry I don't remember the exact ratio but I'm sure it can be Googled. Must be done on a warmish clear day so you can ventilate the room adequately - and I'd recommend having several fans going as well.
How do you clean a wooden banister?
I used Bona to clean the wooden banister handrails and it removed all the dirt and gummy build up.
