Cleaning Antique Table

February 16, 2006 7:47 AM

hey, i've been searching metafilter but can't find exactly what i'm looking for in the archives...specifically the best way to clean and polish our antique wood kitchen/dining room table. should we use a wax polish? any truth behind the technique of using a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice? right now the table looks dull and i want it to gleam! thanks!
posted by battlecj to home & garden (4 comments total)

Is it dull because it's dirty or dull because the finish has worn? If it's dirty, wiping it down with a bit of diluted white vinegar will make it shine.
posted by desuetude at 8:39 AM on February 16, 2006

for a really deep gleam on an antique you need to do a french polish, which is somewhat complex but can be done yourself (I did it a few years back). Then you use real furniture wax sparingly to keep it nice.
posted by anadem at 9:02 AM on February 16, 2006

French polishing isn't really polishing at all, it's applying a whole new finish to the table which will indeed make it look all spiffy. But for regular polishing you should use a good quality paste wax.

Have a scan through this months Fine Woodworking, they have an article on it (and the conclusion is use paste wax)
posted by zeoslap at 9:08 AM on February 16, 2006

Also you should only really French Polish if the original finish is shellac.
posted by zeoslap at 9:19 AM on February 16, 2006