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Cleaning Up:  tacky table top  |
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yf4life
Farmgirl in Training
14 Posts
Maree
Nine Mile Falls
WA
USA
14 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 13 2006 : 10:08:22 PM
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I have an oak dining table that we have had for 12 years. The top has become tacky. It's not dirty; I wash and wash and wash. I have used plain soap and water as well as harsher chemicals. Nothing will "un"tacky my table. ANY advice would be helpful.
Maree |
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Hideaway Farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1553 Posts
Jo
Virginia
USA
1553 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2006 : 06:14:20 AM
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Great question, Maree,
I have kitchen cabinets in a 20-yr. old house we just moved into that are tacky around the edges where they have been pulled on to open them. I tried Murphy's Oil Soap which takes layers of dirt off, but also the finish if you rub too hard. Hope someone has a solution (pun intended) for this.
Jo |
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ida
True Blue Farmgirl
56 Posts
ida
camden
ohio
USA
56 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2006 : 06:30:11 AM
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would a vinegar wash work? not sure what it would do to the finish...maybe dilute it?
Mom's Makin' Scents |
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2006 : 06:44:02 AM
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My mom, who has refinished and refurbished about anything possible, said that when things get that "feel," and you're sure they're clean, the thing to do is strip it and re-varnish or re-finish it. What a nuisance!!!
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
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Hideaway Farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1553 Posts
Jo
Virginia
USA
1553 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2006 : 06:51:19 AM
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Aargh, that's what I was afraid of! I may need to do that anyway, since a couple of the most heavily used cabinets and drawers are worn right down to the white wood anyway. The cabinets are gorgeous, and were handmade by the man who built the house, so I definitely want to keep them and bring back their original beauty. Thanks for the info, Libbie.
Maree, how about using a really nice tablecloth as a temporary solution until you have time/energy to re-finish your table?
Jo |
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ali2583
True Blue Farmgirl
404 Posts
Alison
Winnipeg
Manitoba
Canada
404 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2006 : 3:13:41 PM
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Just from reading your post, Maree, it sounds like it's just an accumlation of years and years worth of cleaning products and varnish. I agree with Libbie that it may be time to strip and re-finish the table.
"God's gift to you is life. What you choose to do with that life is your gift to God" |
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theoanne
True Blue Farmgirl
282 Posts
teddie
CARROLLTON
GA
282 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2006 : 6:56:38 PM
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Maree,
I have used a product called Milsek oil for more than 20yrs. I use it on my old furniture before I deciede if I need to refinish. You put it on with 0000 steel wool rubbing with the grain on stubborn spots,then let it sit over night. The piece will develope a haze. Then using a clean soft cloth start to rub. The piece will begin to shine and you will find lots of old dirt, wax etc on your cloth. It will continue to pull the dirt out, so don't be surprised if it gets hazy again. I did my great grandmas dinning room table and every morning for a week I polished the haze. Every time I got dirt on the rag. After you piece is clean you can use the oil to polish your furniture. There is no build up like wax. I always bought this when I lived in OH in Amish country. Now that I'm in GA I order it it on line. Just search for Milsek.
Hope this helps, Teddie |
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yf4life
Farmgirl in Training
14 Posts
Maree
Nine Mile Falls
WA
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - Jun 17 2006 : 11:29:21 PM
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Thank you all for the ideas. I tried really scrubbing the table with Murphy's oil soap. While I was able to pull out a lot of dirt that I hadn't been able to previously...No luck. I am going to try the vinegar solution tomorrow but, i don't think it will work. I will try the Milsek after that. I sure hope it works or we will have to live with table cloths. I have no time to try and refinish a table!!
Maree |
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katie-ell
True Blue Farmgirl
1818 Posts
Katie
Illinois
1818 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2006 : 04:08:43 AM
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| I wouldn't do the vinegar solution. That would damage the finish. Formby's has a tabletop 'facelift' kit that is fabulous. Check them out on the website formbys.com. |
Edited by - katie-ell on Jun 18 2006 04:10:34 AM |
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Cleaning Up: tacky table top |
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tacky table top
