TGIF Furniture Polishes

 

Some people feel the need to polish furniture.   We’ll explore the options.   There are a few things that cause finishes to deteriorate

·         Exposure to light

·         Oxidation

·         Physical damage –impact, scratches, water, foods, solvent, heat, body oils (acidic), chemicals

Polishes, other than providing some light cleaning, don’t do much except  make the surface a little slipperier to reduce scuffing. They can also make a nice smell, and to conceal surface damage, and provide some internal gratification that you (or the housekeeper) are doing something..

 

One thing you do want to do is to remove contaminants.*   One particularly bad one is body oil that you see on the edges of desks and tables, and arms on backs of chairs.   Its acidic content can degrade finishes over time, resulting in a gooey mess.   Eventually if you try to remove the goo,  you will remove "what used to be finish" down to the raw wood.

 

There are five different types of polish for furniture

0.       (What I always call the zero option)   Do nothing.  You don’t NEED to polish furniture

1.       An oil, typically a petroleum distillate such as mineral oil.

2.       An emulsion, a combination of oil and water

3.       A silicone-based polish

4.       Wax

 

Do nothing

Most of the world does not polish furniture.   When finished,  wood & finish does not need to be fed, moisturized have “essential oils replaced” or any other such misleading care.  Polishes do not protect the finish from damage.  For regular cleaning, just dust with a cloth and/or * clean with a dampened cloth, maybe with a bit of detergent.

 

Oil

These finishes are a lightweight oil that will provide some shine.  The oil slowly evaporates away.  These are clear polishes in the container and may be colored orange or yellow.  Even if they are called orange oil or lemon oil, they are just petroleum products with some added color or scent.   There is a product called d-Limonene that is an extract from citrus rinds and is a light solvent.   Example products: Old English, a variety of products called Lemon Oil or Orange Oil.

 

Emulsions

These are mixtures of water and oil.  In the container they have a milky appearance.   The water helps do some cleaning and the oils stay behind after the water evaporates and evaporates at a slower rate. Example products: Guardsman, OZ, Endust

 

 Mini Science Lesson : The first rule of solvents is “likes dissolve likes.”   That is, water is good at dissolving and cleaning water-based stains – sweat, food, general dirt & dust.   Water is sometimes called “the universal solvent.”  Oils dissolve greasy stains.  (The chemical reason is that water is a polar solvent (has a negative and positive side) and oils (and petroleum distillates) are non-polar solvents.  Most contamination is water-based.  * Water-based cleaners will remove the body oils.

 

Silicones

Silicone is a slick oil that adds shine and lubricates the surface.  Very slow evaporating.  It can leave smudges when wiped with your finger.   The worst problem, though, is it will wreak havoc on refinishing.  You can’t get rid of all the oil, even when stripping and sanding and can cause fish-eyes when you apply a finish.  Example products: Pledge (the most commonly used polish)

 

Wax

 This was covered some in the TGIF on wax.  Wax is the most time consuming to apply as you have to buff it off, but is the longest-lasting as it does not evaporate.   It does little to do cleaning, but does add some lubrication.  It is better at filling in scratches, crackling, or dings.  Example products: Johnson’s Wax, Minwax, Trewax, Briwax

Briwax contains toluene as a solvent that can damage some finishes.

Thanks for another great lesson!

Another good one. When we last moved my wife bought a new dining table. When the store delivered it the fellow went through great lengths to explain to me that I shouldn't use furniture polish on it, cleaning it with mild detergent and water was more than enough....and only occasionally. First time I had seen anyone NOT recommend one of the miracle spray polishes. Just as well, we don't have any in our house anyway.

Forgot to include this.   This was originally from an article by Don Williams.   He went on about various polishes (he prefers wax, BTW, that he now sells), but as to this homegrown potion that I've read in books.

 

This excerpt is written by Donald C. Williams
Senior Furniture Conservator, ConservationAnalytical Laboratory at the Smithsonian Institution

Drying oils, such as linseed, tung, or walnut oil, are a different matter altogether. These materials solidify, or "dry" through a process of chemical reaction with the air called oxidation. The drying process polymerizes the oil, making it increasingly intractable with time and more difficult to remove with cleaners or solvents. This is fine if oil is employed as the finish, but not good if it is used as a polish. By itself, having a polish which is difficult to remove would be irritating but not insurmountable. Unfortunately, this is not the whole story. As drying oils age, they tend to become yellow or brown. Also, drying oils are chromogenic (they become colored) in the presence of acids. In this instance the oil adopts the dark, muddy brown/black opaque appearance so prevalent in antique furniture. Traditionally, cleaning/polishing concoctions were comprised of linseed oil, turpentine, beeswax, and vinegar (acetic acid). This cleaning/polishing method, used widely even in the museum field until recently, was and is a disaster waiting to happen. The results of this approach are readily apparent to even the casual observer; a thick incrustation of chocolate colored goo which is neither hard enough to be durable nor soft enough to wipe off easily. Thus, due to the polymerization of the oil as it dries and the reaction of the oil with acetic acid, the furniture is left with an unsightly coating which is very difficult to remove without damaging the surface of the object.

Thanks!

Donald Williams linseed oil turpentine vinegar.pdf