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Kevin and Susan Brackett

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Dec 30, 1998, 3:00:00 AM12/30/98
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We have an antique mahogany table that has gotten some heat stains on
it. They are milky white and you can not feel them when you rub your
hand over the table. It was caused when a guest set down a hot dish on
the table. I was told to rub the spots with a towel soaked in vodka or
gin. It did no good. Any advice on getting the spot out would be most
gratefully received.
Thanks
ks337.vcf

Kwikwork

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Dec 31, 1998, 3:00:00 AM12/31/98
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You might try an opaque toothpaste like Crest and a soft toothbrush. I've also
heard 'fullers earth' works, but that would require further research. Hope
this helps!! --Kwikwork

Kwikwork

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Dec 31, 1998, 3:00:00 AM12/31/98
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The other thing I didn't say, which I'm sure would be helpful to know is that
the rings are most likely caused by the polishing wax that's been used on the
table and has probably not truly damaged the table. again, kwikwork.

tw...@msjudith.net

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Dec 31, 1998, 3:00:00 AM12/31/98
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On Wed, 30 Dec 1998 22:37:22 -0500, Kevin and Susan Brackett
<ks...@charlotte.infi.net> wrote:

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Try a paste made of baking soda, water and cigar ashes (yes - cigar
ashes!).
Best,
Judith Katz-Schwartz

Slanejess

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Dec 31, 1998, 3:00:00 AM12/31/98
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I had the same thing happen with an old pine table. It turned out to be the
wax finish that turned white. Had good luck removing the white rings with a
furniture cleaner that was designed for removing wax buildup. Worth a try.

Susan

Pigs have wings - P.G.W.

Deshazo48

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Dec 31, 1998, 3:00:00 AM12/31/98
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There's a terrific web site I use for information on cleaning. Here's what it
says about wood furniture.
--
Linda Cobb appears regularly Mondays on "Good Morning Arizona," 5 a.m.-9 a.m.
MST. She is the former owner of a large cleaning and disaster restoration
company and, along with her husband, John, is the former owner of a janitorial
supply company. Cobb is certified in numerous types of cleaning.

Queen of Clean ® : The Newsletter.
P.O. Box 655 Dept. 3
Peoria, AZ 85380
Caring for Wood Furniture
Air date: Monday, July 13, 1998

Wood Furniture

Wood furniture is a big investment and taking proper care of it is important.
In Arizona, because of the dry air, wood dries out much faster and needs
renewing to keep it moist and lustrous.

To Remove Old Polish and Dirt From Wood:

Put 2 tea bags in a pot with 1 quart of water and bring it 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 decide whether or not it
should be polished.

To Remove Water Marks/Heat Scars/White Rings:

Massage mayonnaise into the marks and leave it on overnight. The next morning,
wipe off the mayo and the marks should be gone. You can also use petroleum
jelly, butter or margarine. If you have a really stubborn spot, mix cigarette
ashes or rottenstone (available at the hardware store) with the mayo and repeat
the above procedure.

Non-gel white toothpaste is also effective in removing white water rings. Dab
toothpaste on a damp cloth and gently massage the ring in a circular motion
until it is gone. Wipe and buff with a soft cloth. Apply furniture polish if
necessary.

Keeping Furniture Fingerprint-free:

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.

Restoring Dried-out Furniture:

Dab petroleum jelly on a soft cloth and polish to help feed and restore dry
wood. You will be amazed to see the wood's grain and natural luster appear.

Cleaning Really Dirty Wood Furniture:

Mix a solution of 1 quart warm water and 3 or 4 drops of dishwashing liquid.
Wash the furniture with a soft cloth wrung out until it is damp. Rinse and buff
dry.

Making Your Own Furniture Polish:

Combine 1 cup mineral oil and 3 drops lemon extract. Shake before each use.

Covering Scratches:

To cover scratches on wood furniture, use a crayon the color of the wood. Apply
to scratched area, heat with a blow dryer and buff with a soft cloth. The heat
from the blow dryer will melt the wax right into the scratch for a foolproof
repair.

You can read it yourself, plus a whole lot more at
http://www.azfamily.com/gmaz/queen/archives/19980713.html

Marianne (to e-mail remove "fort" after aol.com)

Double D Auction

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Dec 31, 1998, 3:00:00 AM12/31/98
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Deshazo48 wrote:
>There's a terrific web site I use for information on cleaning.
>http://www.azfamily.com/gmaz/queen/archives/19980713.html (major snip)

Thanks, Marianne, for that great info. I printed it for future reference,
although I was aware of some of it.

It made me think of the disastrous mess I made of our former antique dining
room furniture (now used as computer desk/office/storage). It is mahogany
that was painted antique white with gold trim. Gee, that sounds tacky.
Anyway, over the years it has turned a mellow dark golden color making it
look more like pine.

The tops of the chair backs became grimey from dirty hands. Not that we are
filthy pigs who don't wash their hands before eating, but this table was
formerly used not only for dining, but for game playing, reading newspapers
(famous for leaving your hands black), as well as my desk & sometimes typing
table (back in the dark ages when you had to use carbon paper). I tried to
wash off the dirt with soap & water, which took off the yellowing. So that
then I had to try to wash everything so that it would match again in color.
The problem that I ran into was the intricate carving & detailed sections.
Couldn't seem to get all of the yellow out, making it look splotchy. It
took a lot of scrubbing & I never did finish it, since my results looked
worse than the dirt did.

The whole purpose of this extremely long story is to ask if anyone knows of
a proper cleaning solution I can use to restore this back to its original
color.
Debbie

Paul Fishbein

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Jan 1, 1999, 3:00:00 AM1/1/99
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If I understand your post correctly, you want to bring the dining room
set back to an antique white with gold trim. Whatever method you end up
using, please test it in an inconspicuous place on the piece first. As you
have learned, once you start fiddling in a place that anyone can see, you
may make the situation worse than when you started and you can't hide it.
Try some naphtha or mineral spirits first. This should remove grease
and wax. Then try a dilute solution of dishwashing liquid (Ivory?) and
water. Wipe the area clean of soap water with some fresh water and then
buff it dry. Don't let the water sit on the wood too long. If this does
not remove the yellow, then the color is in the paint or whatever finish is
on top of the paint. As a last cleaning resort, you could try using a
waterless nonabrasive handcleaner like Permatex Blue Label Hand Cleaner and
some 4/0 steel wool. Rub very gently. If this doesn't do it, you are
looking at abrading away the topmost portion of the finish and possibly the
entire thing. I suspect that you have already removed some of it since you
state that it is not uniformly yellow, but rather blotchy. There is a
formulation that is used by the British Museum to clean some of their
antiques but I have found that it is too aggressive and can readily strip a
shellac finish. If you're interested, send me an e-mail. Since the set is
an antique, the better part of valor may be to leave the remaining patina as
is and to say the yellowing "adds character". It's your furniture.

Good Luck.

Double D Auction wrote in message <368bd...@news.epsi.net>...

Double D Auction

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Jan 1, 1999, 3:00:00 AM1/1/99
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Thank you so very much, Paul, for your detailed possible cleaning solutions.
Debbie

Paul Fishbein wrote in message <9xbj2.226$v9.22...@news3.voicenet.com>...

Tina Sutherland

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Jan 3, 1999, 3:00:00 AM1/3/99
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Try baking soda and toothpaste, works every time for me.
Good Luck, Tina

Kevin and Susan Brackett wrote:

> We have an antique mahogany table that has gotten some heat stains on
> it. They are milky white and you can not feel them when you rub your
> hand over the table. It was caused when a guest set down a hot dish on
> the table. I was told to rub the spots with a towel soaked in vodka or
> gin. It did no good. Any advice on getting the spot out would be most
> gratefully received.
> Thanks
>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Brackett Kevin and Susan <ks...@charlotte.infi.net>
>
> Brackett Kevin and Susan
> <ks...@charlotte.infi.net>
> Netscape Conference Address
> Netscape Conference DLS Server
> Additional Information:
> Last Name Kevin and Susan
> First NameBrackett
> Version 2.1


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