How do I clean Pine Furniture?
Question:I am not sure whether it has ever been "finished"-Varnished.
Answers:
If the pine furniture is "stripped pine", that is unfinished, you can use a mild soap solution to clean it. Once the wood is clean you can apply paste wax and once it dries buff it with a soft cloth to polish it to a soft shine. If you wax it regularly the pine will have protection and a lovely patina.
If it's never been finished, then liquid cleaners could stain the wood.
Some shops sell commercial janitorial and fire restoration products and may have a product known as a "crumbly cleaner", which is a putty-like substance that crumbles a little as you use it. Since it's dry, you can rub it on the wood to remove surface dirt without harming the wood underneath. Try it in an unobtrusive area first and see how it works. The only other alternative would be to sand the surface of the wood until it's clean again.
After you've cleaned, might be a good idea to varnish the wood so that future cleaning (with liquid cleaner) will be much easier.
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