Hello all -- I've inherited some family furniture, some of which is in need of attention. Some things obviously need to see a professional (suggestions in the southern Indiana and Louisville KY area welcome.) But for things like the antique shelf shown, that are just dirty, dry, and occasionally showing suspicions of mildew, what does the community recommend for safe cleaning? Per family notes this is english, mostly oak, and likely early nineteenth century. I see signs of old repair, plus about 75 years on the same wall. Are there common errors I can dodge in advance? And more specifically, is there any reason I should not use a microcrystalline furniture wax like Renaissance? Thanks in advance for comments and suggestions.
Cleaning can be done with just a damp cloth with a solution of Murphy's Oil Soap and water or, if really dirty with wax build-up, some mineral spirits. Once clean, a good coat of paste wax should do the trick. Haven't used Renaissance (probably fine) but Minwax also makes a good one. My go-to was always Johnson's but they no longer make it. I still have a half a can so am not desparate for a substitute yet. This looks more like walnut than oak in this picture but hard to tell for sure. Hard to date something like this but I would not have thought as old as purported.
I agree with brad that it looks more like walnut and not as old as early 19th. From the single photo provided, I would have guessed more like early 20th but then I'm a novice at antique furniture. Can we see close up photos of the joinery, the repair, etc?
For any mold/mildew put undiluted white vinegar in a spray bottle (or make do pouring on a rag) and spray the trouble areas. You can then immediately wipe off and it'll be good as new. Vinegar is recommended over bleach to kill mold and it's non-toxic (you eat it!) and smells a lot better! You'll have a little vinegar smell but it clears up quick. You can put it on everything except any base metals, which will develop a verdigris if you leave it on, so be careful around hardware.
Thanks for the interest -- and the chuckle! I had to ask some helpers not to stand it on its points. The construction seems to be a combination of wood shape, glue, and little headless spike nails. The only screws were the ones on the hangers used to secure it to a wall -- obviously hopscotched around the back over the years. For a repair example, I think the cornice was damaged and partially replaced at one point. The more complex structure seems to be something patched in, while the other side is simpler. The patching is visible on the front view of the corner I included. I appreciate the cleaning suggestions. There will be some places for vinegar, and I'll see if mineral spirits turn out to be necessary.
Is it decorated with three inlaid striped panels at the top? Would/could you post close-up photographs? Debora
Certainly -- those details show a bit more repair on close inspection. The wider pattern is in the middle, with what looks like replacement of some veneer, with narrower patterns at the ends.
On inspection, I likely downsized the repaired veneer image too far to see why I think so. A larger version shows it better.
Well.... I don't think oak. Having a hard time telling what it is. I don't think walnut either. Your central veneered section could be predominately mahogany. Not sure about the frame and moldings. Can we get a straight-on photo of the wider board and decorative pieces just below the veneered section? I do think 19th century but hard to pin down further as there is not a lot of stylistic detail to go on.
Here's a little more effort on wood ID. I picked a small place to try dilute Murphy's, where it won't show when the shelf is hung. The bottom part of the two-tone image is a cleaned section of wood. Maybe pine? This is from the horizontal shelf that bears the hanging hardware. The edge uprights are veneered on their exterior-facing surface, but not the interior. The upright board images are of course uncleaned -- I want to try Minwax's supposedly finish-safe cleaner on another hidden area before deciding which to use more generally.
