OT-cleaning a table

[Brandi]

I just got this wonderful coffee table. The first really nice one i have ever owned. The people i bought it from said in their showroom they use this cleaner. Well now all I see is fingerprints,cat paws etc... When we first got it you could touch the table and that didn't happen. Anyone have a good way to clean a wooden finished coffee table?

[EvilTwin]

Brandi, you might try a water/vinegar mix. One part vinegar to 5 parts water. This is what I use on my hardwood floors, and it works great. DON'T use anything like Murphy's oil soap, etc... that just gums everything up. Barb

[KnottedYet]

I love Murphy soap, but agree it's not the best for furniture. I use water and maybe a little tiny bit of Murphy's if I really need it. Water is usually enough. I dry it off. Then I use lemon oil. It smells lovely. I use lemon oil on everything, finished and unfinished.

[Brandi]

I love Murphy soap, but agree it's not the best for furniture. I use water and maybe a little tiny bit of Murphy's if I really need it. Water is usually enough. I dry it off. Then I use lemon oil. It smells lovely. I use lemon oil on everything, finished and unfinished.
You don't find that the lemon oil causes finger prints and what not? I will try the water vinegar do you know what the mix is? 1to 3 ,4 parts water?

[Brandi]

You don't find that the lemon oil causes finger prints and what not? I will try the water vinegar do you know what the mix is? 1to 3 ,4 parts water?
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[Duck on Wheels]

I don't think lemon oil, or other oils, will be a fingerprint magnet. At least not on unfinished wood. Don't know about varnished wood because I don't have much of that. "Norwegian Wood" is lots of unfinished "blond" wood like pine, birch, spruce. Back when I was working as a hotel chambermaid we would scour the "raw" wood coffee tables with lots and lots of either some kind of oil or green soap (is that what Murphy's soap is?). Which we used depended on what the boss believed in, or had bought cheap. Either way the point was to kind of saturate the wood with it so you got a patina that went a mm or 2 deep and that was easy to clean -- dirt, cig ashes, wine spills, fingerprints ... they all just lifted right off. The soap or oil layer was almost like Scotchguard or Teflon. But of course, if it's finished wood then that won't work the same.

[Duck on Wheels]

(hmmpf. Just pm'ed my sister about how much I hate doing housework, and here I am playing Martha Stewart about cleaning raw wood tables. Oh well. Better get back to that bathroom floor. Moving out Monday and almost done with major housecleaning.)

[pooks]

Is it unfinished or finished wood? I'm confused.

[Duck on Wheels]

I think Brandi said her table was finished. KnottedYet brought up using lemon oil on all tables, finished or unfinished. Brandi asked if lemon oil wouldn't make the fingerprint thing worse, and I confused matters by saying how on UNfinished wood oil or soap makes a sort of ScotchGuard layer that is easily cleaned. So let's get back on Brandi's topic. Anybody have good cleaning ideas for a FINISHED wood table?

[Brandi]

Thanks for all your post! This is kinda out there so i thought "Hey if no one says anything I understand"!