WOOD FURNITURE
Do you have a piece of wood furniture that’s been slightly damaged? Many everyday mishaps can be taken care of with these home remedies:
| Problem
|
Remedy
|
| Water marks/rings: | Place a clean, thick paper or cloth blotter over the stain and press down with a warm iron; repeat. If necessary, follow up with cleaning polish or furniture grade wax. |
| Milk or alcohol: | Using your fingers, rub a liquid or paste wax into the area. If that fails, rub in a paste of boiled linseed oil and rottenstone paste (available at hardware stores); use powdered pumice for dull finishes. Wipe dry and polish. |
| White marks: | Rub with a thin paste of wax and mineral spirits. Once dry, apply a thin coat of wax or cleaning polish. |
| Candle Wax: | Harden the wax with an ice cube, catching moisture as the ice melts. Using your fingers, crumble off the wax, and then scrape the remaining wax gently with an old credit card. Rub with a cloth dampened in mineral spirits. Or, place a clean, thick blotter over stain and press down with a warm iron. Rub the area with liquid polish. |
| Cigarette burns: | Rub the area with a scratch-concealing polish. If that fails, apply rottenstone paste (available at hardware stores). |
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UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE
Please note: Be sure to check your furniture Upholstery Cleaning Codes to determine if a procedure is safe for your fabric. Those codes are:
| W: | Clean the fabric with a water-based product, such as the foam from a mild detergent or a nonsolvent upholstery shampoo. Use sparingly and avoid over-wetting. |
| S: | Clean the fabric with a mild water-free dry-cleaning solvent. Use sparingly, in a well-ventilated room. |
| WS: | Clean the fabric with a dry-cleaning solvent, the foam of a mild detergent or an upholstery shampoo, depending on the stain. |
| X: | Have the fabric professionally cleaned. Only clean this fabric yourself by vacuuming or brushing it lightly to prevent accumulation of dust and grime. If no code exists, try a cleaning method on a hidden spot or call a professional upholstery cleaner for advice. |