Tips for furniture care

Caveat: As with all free advice, follow these tips at your own risk.

Removing Stains

Water Marks and Rings: Often, rings are in the wax, not the finish. Cover the stain with a clean, thick blotter, press down with a warm iron, and repeat. Or rub with salad oil, mayonnaise or white toothpaste. Wipe dry and wax or polish.

White Marks: Rub with a cloth dipped in a mixture of cigarette ashes and lemon juice or salad oil. Or rub with a cloth dipped in lighter fluid, followed by a mixture of rottenstone and salad oil. Wipe dry and wax or polish.

Milk or Alcohol: Use your fingers to rub liquid or paste wax into the stain. Or rub in a paste of boiled linseed oil and rottenstone with the grain, substituting pumice for dull finishes. Or rub with ammonia on a dampened cloth. Wipe dry and wax or polish.

Scratch and Nick First-Aid

Dark Wood or Stain: Fill scratches with shoe polish that matches the lightest shade of the finish, or rub with walnut or Brazil nut meat in the direction of the scratch. A child's crayon or felt-tipped marker can also be used.

Cherry: Fill the scratches with cordovan or reddish shoe polish that matches the wood, or apply darkened iodine with a cotton swab or thin artist's brush.

Light Wood or Stain: Fill scratches with a tan or natural shoe polish, or apply darkened iodine diluted 50 percent with denatured alcohol.

We also carry the Howard Restor-A-Finish product line, which we highly recommend and use ourselves.

You may find more helpful tips at How to Mend It.

Ken's furniture care articles.

Reprinted from The Olympian with permission.

"Dust We Must" Tips on dusting (First published 12-10-05)

"Moving is Hard" How to move furniture without damage (First published 12-24-05)

"Tracking the Movements of the Enemy" The effects of water on furniture (First published 1-7-06)

"Oops!" Wood finish care (First published 1-21-06)

"Cleaning Up the Mess" Cleaning fabric furniture (First published 2-4-06)

"Whatta Mess" Cleaning exotic stains (First published 2-18-06)

"Ink is for Squids" Cleaning up ink spills (First published 3-4-06)

"It's Not Over Until It's Finished" Wood finish basics (First published 3-18-06)

"What's It Worth" Determining the value of used items (First published 4-1-06)

"Shopping Case Goods" (First published 4-15-06)

"Shopping Dining Furniture" (First published 4-29-06)

"Everything You Know Is Wrong" Dispelling myths about furniture (First published 5-13-06)

Dangerous Furniture (First published 5/27/06)

Intro to Interior Design (First published 6/10/06)

Change in the weather (First published 6/24/06)

Designer Look (First published 7/8/06)

Las Vegas Market (First published 8/5/06)

Color My World (First published (8/19/06)

Color Wheel (First published 9/2/06)

Exotic Woods (First published 9/16/06)

Upholstery Interview (First published 9/30/06)

Turkish Rugs (First published 10/14/06)

10 essential pieces (1st 5) (First published 10/28/06)

10 essential pieces (2nd 5) (First published 11/11/06)

I hate Trading Spaces (First published 11/25/06)

History of plywood

Plywood Furniture

Gustav Stickley

Postmodern Furniture Design

Mid-century Modern Furniture Design

Modern Furniture Design

"Green cleaning" - vinegar and baking soda

"Green cleaning" - ammonia and bleach

Art Deco

Art Nouveau

Using stuff up

"Green" shopping in Olympia

Auctions as Recyclers

William Morris - Arts & Crafts in Great Britain

Home lighting

Setting up a home office

Tidying up a home office

Keeping "Green"

Introduction to carpeting

New home stores in downtown Olympia

Buying Chinese antiques - part 1

Buying Chinese antiques - part 2

Placing furniture - part 1

Placing furniture - part 2

Finding a focal point

4 main styles

Spring cleaning 1 of 3

Spring cleaning 2 of 3

Spring cleaning 3 of 3

Retrofit for an Eco-home 1

Retrofit for an Eco-home 2

Furniture woods - oak

Furniture woods - maple and cherry

Furniture woods - mahogany and walnut

If you have questions about any of these articles, or suggestions for future columns, you can always drop me a line at ken@olyfurnitureworks.com.