Need advice on cleaning dark trim

[Yankeegirl]

I am wondering if there is a way to clean trim that has darkened over the lifetime of the house. All of the trim in the dining room area is this color.

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On the other side of the house (entry hall & LR area) is very dark & alligatored in places.

IMG_3069 (400x600).jpg (139.56 KiB) Viewed 773 times

IMG_3073 (400x600).jpg (102.7 KiB) Viewed 773 times

Sorry for the blur - I took these with flash off & shutter speed was slow. Is there a product I can use to bring these back to the correct color? Or do I have to strip & restain it all? I actually like the darkness of it lol but I realize it isn't correct. Any advice is appreciated.

[Mick_VT]

That's patina - don't strip it, it is part of the character of the place! A careful cleaning would be all I would do.


But that is just my opinion, sometimes a refresh of the finish will yield wonderful results.

[Yankeegirl]

Thanks Mike! I have no problem leaving it as is - as I said I like how dark it is. So what do I use to clean it with? And is it ok to put a clear coat over it so it easier to wipe off in the future? Its mostly the baseboard that is dull looking - I like a little shine to it - so satin?

[Don M]

That finish may be shellac. If you use denatured alcohol & a rag try rubbing a spot in a unobtrusive spot & see if it is affected by the alcohol, if so it is shellac which can be renewed. If not then it is some type of varnish which as Mick said perhaps leave it alone.

[Yankeegirl]

Thank you Don - I definitely will give that a try. I have to run to town tomorrow so I will stop at hardware store & grab some. Will let you know how it goes. If it is shellac I will be asking more questions lol. Thanks again!

[Yankeegirl]

Well it is def shellac. The denatured alcohol rubs it right off. So my question is how do I treat the wood once it is cleaned up? Steel wool the clean wood then a coat of shellac? I don't want to do poly on it - I want to match the original color in the DR area. All advice is most welcome .

[Mick_VT]

Others have more expertise in this, but I would say don't use anything too abrasive on the wood as you may end up with some spots getting lighter. Scotchbrite is better than steel wool as there is no chance that you will leave little steel shards which can later rust and leave spots.

I would say remove the messy shellac with a scotchbrite and alchol, (make sure you have good ventilation and turn off any gas appliances.) Then simply recoat, any old remnants of shellac will simply melt into the new as shellac always stays soluable.

To get the right color you might want to experiment with the different shades of shellac from blonde through garnet, available from furniture refinishers and woodworking stores. They will sell them as flakes, but it is easy enough to mix up a batch with alcohol, and that way you know its as fresh as it can be.

[Yankeegirl]

Mick - when you say scotchbrite do you mean a scrubby sponge? Can you post a pic for me? Sorry to sound silly but I'm not sure & want to buy the right thing. I'm going to do some research on the flake - I'm a long way from using it - there is ALOT of trim to clean up. Now I know what my winter project is going to be - good thing winters last 6 months here lolol.

[Mick_VT]

Mick - when you say scotchbrite do you mean a scrubby sponge? Can you post a pic for me? Sorry to sound silly but I'm not sure & want to buy the right thing. I'm going to do some research on the flake - I'm a long way from using it - there is ALOT of trim to clean up. Now I know what my winter project is going to be - good thing winters last 6 months here lolol.

I actually mean this stuff http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQSY4C It is the same as what is on the scrubby sponges only graded like steel wool. You can use the sponges or pan scourers if you can get them easier, so long as they dont have detergent or similar embedded in them. I'm not sure what grade they would translate to though.

[Yankeegirl]

Ok - so synthetic so you don't get any fibers left behind. Makes sense . Thank you for explaining - I want to make sure we don't do the wrong thing. I can see this is going to be addictive lol. My husband & I were working in the yard then came inside & started removing old shellac. Had to force ourselves to stop lol.