How to use Turpentine for Cleaning Antique Furniture
When it is decided to restore an old piece of furniture, it is possible to distinguish mainly 2 types of cleaning: the one that is usually performed at the beginning, when the piece of furniture left in the attic or the cellar for a long period, is now full of dust and dirt of every kind.
In this case, it is essential to have a vacuum cleaner, hard bristle brushes of various sizes to remove any stubborn dirt trace. The second type of cleaning concerns, instead, the polished surface of the cabinet and is performed when it does not need to be stripped.
In this short guide, we will deepen the latter type of cleaning. I will illustrate how to correctly use turpentine and clean old furniture in a few simple steps. Before starting, I want to clarify that this guide’s content is for informational purposes only. I do not assume any responsibility for the use that will be made of it.
To establish how to clean the furniture properly, we establish two things: the type of paint on the furniture and the type of finish we want to apply. In other words, we can only clean the furniture if, once the cleaning work is finished, we will apply a type of finish identical to the previous one.
Otherwise, we will have to paint the wood compulsorily. Basically, we can find two types of finish: wax or shellac. In the next steps, we will see how to clean both in the best possible way using turpentine (better known as ” turpentine ” ).
Cleaning a wax-finished piece of furniture is relatively easy. It is sufficient to use a cloth soaked in turpentine. We scrupulously rub the piece of furniture’s surface, exerting pressure to obtain a satisfactory result if the dirt is particularly stubborn.
We avoid scrubbing vigorously in the same area, as we can risk lightening the wood and seriously compromising the furniture’s aesthetics. To avoid unpleasant surprises, we place a few drops of turpentine on the affected area; then, let the solution act for a few minutes and then rub the stain.
As for cleaning an old piece of furniture treated with shellac, it is advisable to use a mixture (called ” triple, “by the number of ingredients) consisting of 100 ml of turpentine, 60 ml of alcohol at 95 °, and 60 ml of straw oil. We proceed to rub vigorously, always in a uniform way, the piece of furniture with this cleaning solution using a cotton rag.
We often replace cotton and gradually decrease the pressure exerted until a good result is achieved. If the dirt is difficult to remove, we can increase the percentage of alcohol, taking care not to exceed as we would remove layers of shellac, forcing us to paint and repaint the furniture. After this operation, we rub the wood with a dry and clean cloth.
