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| Sorry if this is the wrong category for this question, but I thought I might reach some knowledgeable people here:
I just bought a great Craftsman cabinet over the weekend, and I'm not sure what type of cleaner to use on it. I'm almost certain that the finish is original. I believe the wood is walnut, and it has been stained a medium oak. It looks like it has only one thin coat of finish, to keep the grain of the wood readily apparent. I used Murphy's Oil Soap on a white rag to clean a tiny area of the cabinet at first, and I noticed an orange-y color rubbing off onto the white rag. Unfortunately, I can't tell if it's the finish coming off or if it's old tobacco stains, so I stopped cleaning it. What would be safe to use on it? I'm not looking to shine and polish it up - I just clean and free of all the fingerprints it has on it from being at the antiques center. Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Chances are huge that the finish is shellac.... Don't use any water based stain...I would use pure mineral spirits on a white cloth. But...there is also a chance that your cabinet was in a smoker's house and the yellow is residual tobacco smoke.... But mineral spirits will remove the tobacco tar and not the finish. Linda C |
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| Thanks, Linda! |
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| I meant water based cleaner...not stain... |
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| I figured :) |
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