WOOD FURNITURE TRICKS
To Cover a small Mahogany Scratch -- Use iodine to fill it in.
UNsticking Paper From Wood -- Try soaking the paper in cooking oil for a few minutes. Rub with a cloth to 'roll' the paper off.
Burns on Wooden Furniture -- Mix vegetable oil with powered pumice or rottenstone to make a paste. Apply paste to burned area only, rubbing it gently into the grain. Wipe clean and polish as usual. For minor burns, try toothpaste.
Musty Old Trunk -- To get the musty smell out of an old trunk that has been closed up, fill an open box with deodorized cat litter, put it in the trunk, and close the lid for a few days. Then open the trunk and leave it outdoors in the fresh air on a nice sunny day. Before closing it, stuff the inside with crumpled newspaper to absorb odors, and/or tuck in a few bars of unwrapped soap.
To Remove Old Polish and Dirt -- Put two tea bags in a pot with 1 quart of water and bring to a boil. Cool to room temperature, dip a soft cloth in the solution, wring it damp and wipe furniture with it. Buff it dry with a soft cloth, then assess whether or not it should be polished.
Wood surfaces will be cleaned and lightly polished after being wiped with a mixture of 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon white vinegar in 1 quart warm water. Use a soft cloth to apply and another one to wipe dry.
Make-It-Yourself Furniture Polish -- Try one of these. Combine 1/3 cup white vinegar with 1 cup olive oil OR 3 drops lemon extract with 1 cup mineral oil. Baby oil can be used in place of olive or mineral oil.
Fingerprint-Free Furniture -- Sprinkle cornstarch on the just-polished furniture and buff with a soft cloth. The cornstarch will make fingerprints disappear as well as absorb excess polish.
Dried-Out Furniture? -- Try using petroleum jelly (Vaseline) on a soft cloth and polish to help feed and restore the wood - you might even see more of the grain and natural luster.
UH, OH a Watermark, Heat Scar or White Ring!!! -- Massage mayonnaise into the marks and leave overnight. Next day, wipe of the mayo and marks should be gone. You can also use petroleum jelly, margarine or butter.
For really Stubborn Stains -- Mix equal amounts of cigarette or cigar ashes with mayo and apply as above.
Non-gel white toothpaste is effective in removing water rings. Dab toothpaste on a damp cotton cloth and gently massage the ring in a circular motion until it is gone. Wipe and buff with dry cotton cloth.
OR Mix equal amounts of baking soda and toothpaste and massage into the furniture and then wipe and buff.
Remedy For Greying Wood Surfaces -- When a whitish-grey film appears on wood furniture, mix a small amount of vinegar (1 to 2 tablespoons) with a pint of water and soak a soft cloth in it. Wring the cloth lightly and let remaining mixture in the cloth drip onto the wood surface. Rub lightly. If this doesn't take, sanding may be required.
Watermarks PREVENTION -- Apply floor wax to furniture and quickly rub it in. It will leave a water-resistant finish on the surface.
To Cover a Small Dark Wood Scratch -- Prepare a paste of instant coffee and water and rub into the scratch. Wipe off the excess and the scratch will be gone.
To Cover a Small Varnished-Wood Scratch -- Rub the meat of a pecan, walnut, Brazil nut or peanut into the scratch.
OR Try an eyebrow pencil, shoe polish, or crayon whose color matches the wood color.
OR Rub with cooking oil and a soft cloth.
To Cover a scratch on Wrought Iron Furniture -- Rub a black crayon on the scratch and blend it in with a cloth.
Keep Drawers Sliding -- With a cake of soap or piece of wax go over the tracks or runners.
Second-Hand Furniture -- If it has a musty odor, put a plastic lid in each drawer, topped with a cotton ball soaked in oil (cinnamon, clove, mint; purchased at drugstore). Smell will disappear.
UNsticking Wax From Wood -- To remove candlewax spills from wooden furniture, soften the wax first with your hairdryer set on medium heat. When it starts to melt the wax, wipe the wax off with a soft cloth. Then wipe the area with a mild vinegar solution and polish as usual.
