FIRST AID FOR WOOD

Many times finished wood that has simply been neglected or has been in storage will take on a drab,
unattractive look that seems to indicate a need for refinishing. Sometimes the furniture has been
exposed to a damp, humid atmosphere and it may have acquired light-colored streaks. Extremely hot,
dry atmosphere, or exposed to heat from a nearby stove or fireplace, and even direct sunlight. The finish
may have formed checks to give the pedals affect. The table or desk surfaces may have suffered from
the stains and even have a white ring from a hot coffee mug or a glass of tea has rested.

Many times these conditions can be cured rather quickly, without either spot or partial refinishing. When
you use a quick cure and it doesn't work, you will have to go to the full refinishing of the surface. Give the
fast cure a try first. A piece of furniture that has cumulative several layers of dust and grime from setting
in the background can sometimes be revived just by a good washing. To do this, use a soft rag and
warm water in which a teaspoon of shavings from a mild bar of soap that has been dissolved. Do not
use a detergent.

Get a soft rag and dip it in the soapy water, wring it out lightly, just enough to keep it from dripping. Now
with gentle pressure, wash the piece, and dry at once. Look at it closely and if it is not cleaned up like
you want you may need to rewash to remove all the dirt. If it is OK, then apply some good furniture wax
and rubbed well.

Sometimes you may find a finish that has deeply embedded layers of dirt, along with different types of
stains. To try to clean this up substitute medicinal soft so, USP XVI, for the toilet so. This medicinal soap
is usually called "green soap." If you do not know what this is, it is what doctor's use when scrubbing for
an operation. You can find it and most drugstores. To use it, soak a soft, lintless, clean cloth in lukewarm
water, and wring it out gently. Put a teaspoonful of the soap on the cloth and fold it into a hand size pad.
Next, wash the furniture with a rotating motion until it is covered with lather. Now take a clean cloth, and
dip it into warm water. Wring gently, and wash off the lather, and then dry with a fresh cloth. If it looks OK,
apply a good coat of furniture wax and work it into the grain of the wood.

Now, we are getting desperate, so next heat a quart of water in an old double boiler. The water must be
quite hot, do not boil. Add a tablespoon of turpentine and two tablespoons of linseed oil to the water and
stir well. Whatever you do, don't put the pan containing this mixture over a direct heat as it may ignite. If
you don't have the double boiler, you can use an old saucepan inside a larger pan that is filled to within
two inches of the rim. Next, you need to dip a clean cloth into the lukewarm mixture and wring it out to
where it's almost dry. Now, wash with the grain of the wood, and when through dry at once by rubbing the
wood with a clean, dry, lintless rag. If it looks OK, wax it was a good furniture wax.

Warning. Any of the foregoing methods used on a veneered piece, use only lukewarm water, and wring
the washing clothe almost dry. Too much moisture and heat will probably cause the veneer to the lift.
Work very fast in removing the wash water.