05/26/2026
A little furniture refinishing education moment from the workshop today 👩🏻‍🎨
One of the biggest hidden problems I run into when stripping furniture is years (sometimes decades) of furniture polish buildup. Products like Pledge and other silicone-heavy sprays may make furniture look shiny for a while, but over time they soak into the finish and create a sticky residue that turns stripping into an absolute nightmare.
Instead of the old finish cleanly dissolving and lifting away, everything turns into a thick, greasy goop that smears across the wood, gums up sandpaper, clogs stripping pads, and settles deep into carvings and grain. It can easily add HOURS of extra labor to a restoration project.
In severe cases, silicone contamination can even cause problems later with stain and clear coat adhesion, leading to “fish eyes” or uneven finishes during refinishing.
For regular furniture cleaning and maintenance I recommend:
• A lightly damp microfiber cloth
• Mild dish soap diluted in water for deeper cleaning
• Murphy Oil Soap occasionally on finished wood
• Quality furniture waxes used sparingly ( if your current wax layer has become sticky, you must remove it with mineral spirits and clean with mild soap before applying more wax. Do not apply wax without a proper cleaning first. )
What we are trying to avoid are heavy silicone sprays and oily “quick shine” products that build up over time.
I know many people use these products because that’s what generations were taught to use, so this is never meant as criticism, just a helpful explanation for why some pieces become much more difficult to restore than others. I feel awful when I have to call and tell you your timeline has been extended because it's going to take double the work to remove the finish and it's all the fault of the product that was marketed to keep it clean.
