How to Clean & Wax Antique Furniture - Part 1

How to Clean & Wax Antique Furniture

Here at EuroLux Antiques, we clean and wax a great deal of antique furniture. While we only buy pieces that have been well-loved through time and are in good condition, most of the time they still need to be cleaned in order to look great. This blog is the first in a series of 5 about how to take care of your antique furniture.

Clean, Don't Strip Antiques

Often folks tell us that they believe they need to strip and refinish a piece of antique furniture that they have at home. We always emphasize that is the last thing you want to do, as stripping and refinishing antique furniture will decrease the value of the piece.

Instead, we recommend that you should first try cleaning the piece. Sometimes a piece of antique furniture that looks dirty, dry, and faded just needs a little TLC to make it look great again. You can use Murphy's oil soap and water, but be sure to thoroughly dry the piece afterwards.

Use Howard Restor-A-Finish to Clean Antique Furniture

We have found great results using the restorative product, Howard Restor-A-Finish, and we highly recommend it. It comes in a variety of colors, but we use either neutral for light-colored wood or dark oak for dark-wood pieces.

Apply with Steel Wool or Brush Attachment

You can apply Howard Restor-A-Finish with fine grade steel wool (0000 4x), but we prefer to use a natural fiber brush attachment for a drill. We use soft t-shirt fabric to apply the liquid and then use the brush attachment to clean the piece, always trying to go with the grain of the wood. Then wipe off the excess and let dry. The piece of antique furniture should now feel much smoother to the touch, as you will have removed the surface layer of old wax, dust, and grime.

Greg will show you how to wax a piece of antique furniture in our next blog, so stay tuned for Part 2!