Help! Old dresser needs major makeover

Sandy
by Sandy
I bought this old dresser at an estate sale for really cheap, but I might be in over my head. Lol. It has about a century of dirt, dust and I don't want to know, stuff on it. The top veneer came off pretty easily but the wood is brittle. How do i get this thing clean enough to work with? Get the smell out? And, seal it before I start sanding up death dust? Lol Help!!
  20 answers
  • Marion Nesbitt Marion Nesbitt on Feb 09, 2016
    Top under the veneer looks ok. I would just sand a little, use a med to dark stain and oil. The bottom as is looks better than some of the purposeful jobs I've seen on this site! lol If that's not your style, then I would strip it to avoid too much sanding dust and stain and oil that, too. The smell in drawers can be eliminated by applying a coat of shellac rather than spending a lot of time and money experimenting.
  • Amy Amy on Feb 09, 2016
    Gojo hand cleaner from the hardware store and a roll of paper towels. Work in the direction of the grain to ease out decades of dust and cigarette smoke. Nice piece!
  • Sherrie Sherrie on Feb 09, 2016
    TSP and start cleaning it. Then peel off the loose veneer on top and sand everything. Lucky you to find such a great piece! These are the pieces I buy because they are the ones I can afford!
    • KBM KBM on Feb 09, 2016
      TSP can be difficult to find but may be available at hardware stores. There is a less toxic TSP substitute available, not as good but it does work.
  • Sherrie Sherrie on Feb 09, 2016
    This is one I saved.
    • See 2 previous
    • Sherrie Sherrie on Feb 09, 2016
      Thank you but it looked worse than yours. Just jump in and start cleaning. You will be so excited! It's a beautiful piece.
  • Sandy Sandy on Feb 09, 2016
    Thanks ladies! The veneer peeled off easily. Had to make a few small patches, but it looks good so far. I'm on my third round of cleaning and it's looking better. I love the original hardware. It has a little bird shape on it! I found this at an estate sale for $30 tucked under a basement staircase all forgotten and lonely. I will not stop until it's beautiful again!
    • Roger S Roger S on Feb 09, 2016
      You can buy sheet veneers that you can cut to fit the top and if you get the iron on veneer you just use a hot iron to install the veneer. I have done this on pieces before and then just stain them and apply polyurethane to protect the finished top.
  • Jeanette S Jeanette S on Feb 09, 2016
    Beautiful find...go for it...you can't go wrong with something this beautiful...and we want to before and after pictures when you are finished. Wipe it down really good with a mixture of half water and white vinegar to get the grime and probably musty smell off of it. Clean EVERY surface! SUGGESTION: Keep the wooden knobs. Take them off and paint them before putting them back on and just scrub the metal knobs. Looking at the bones of this piece, I do not think you can go wrong no matter what you do to it...it is an absolutely stunning piece! If you will avoid painting the top of the risers (upright sides) of the drawers (or whatever finish you use) and leave raw wood, you can rub them down with soap and they will glide in easier.
    • Sandy Sandy on Feb 09, 2016
      Thank you Jeanette! I actually did every single one of your suggestions, so I know I'm on the right track. I really appreciate the help. Phew, a LOT of work. I definitely would not change the old hardware, it's the best part.
  • Patty S Patty S on Feb 09, 2016
    That is an old Comode cabinet. Lucky you. They usually had a mirror on the back .
  • Charlotte Charlotte on Feb 09, 2016
    I have almost the identical piece that my hubby found on side of the road. Mine has the most ornate mirror attached that I have ever seen. I cleaned up the dresser, stripped the ugly paint off and sanded. I then stained the top dark walnut. I painted the bottom a creamy white. It's gorgeous. The mirror was stripped of the ugly paint and also stained dark walnut. I just can't part with her now. She's a keeper.
  • Barbara Barbara on Feb 09, 2016
    This is an absolutely gorgeous piece! Well worth the time investment to make it beautiful again.I'd work on removing the damaged veneer and clean it up as well as possible with vinegar and water (add a drop or two of dawn) wipe down with a damp clean towel and allow to dry thoroughly. Then go to town with stain or paint or whatever inspires you. The chest is gorgeous.
  • Judithann Terwilliger Judithann Terwilliger on Feb 09, 2016
    Wash with Murphy's oil soap white marble top paint bottom.
  • Here is a trick I learned a long time ago before I even would strip or clean a piece- figure out if it has a varnish or a polyurethane finish- you can do this if you have acetone nail polish and cotton ball and rub to see if the finish comes off. if it does, then you have a varnish finish and you can use Formby's furniture refinisher (which is mineral spirits), refinishing gloves and fine steel wool. I went to work on a $5 thrift store chair that was gross to get a beautiful chair with Formby's and found that someone had recovered it twice
  • Huntress Huntress on Feb 09, 2016
    First put baking soda in the drawers to deal with the smell. I'd let it sit for a couple of days. The best thing for the top wood be to cut plywood in that shape and glue it on.
  • Donna L. Woods-Clements Donna L. Woods-Clements on Feb 09, 2016
    I have a nearly identical piece that I've had since I was 19! It was the first antique I ever purchased, & I got mine cheap also, as the mirror was gone. I'm about to tackle a re-do of it, as it has gotten loose, arthritic joints in the 47 years I've owned it. I'm thinking I'll leave the top either dark or golden oak, and chalk paint the rest of it. (I'm also going to go looking for a mirror with harp to take it back to the washstand it should be.)
  • Johnchip Johnchip on Feb 09, 2016
    I hope you didn't pay for than $15 for this one. It will need $50 in supplies and about 15-20 hours over a two week prep and dry period then you will have a guest room piece or a $75-100 flea market piece. These old pieces are cute, fun, hard work to restore, few who do not inherit them, do not want them anymore, they really do not fit in modern young people's homes, becoming worthless. I can take you to about a hundred garages with a couple in better shape sitting there right now.
  • Sherrie Sherrie on Feb 09, 2016
    I have found it at Lowes, Walmart, Home Depot. I don't get the green kind I get the box kind. We grew up using this to clean floors. I buy several boxes at a time. I don't know about other places bit I can. Find it here.
  • Trudy Trudy on Feb 09, 2016
    It's a beauty! You won't know if you're in over your head 'til you jump in. And we're here to help you out if you flounder :-)
    • Sandy Sandy on Feb 10, 2016
      Thank You Trudy! I jumped in with both feet and a gas mask. I will not be defeated! Lol
  • Cornerpocket Cornerpocket on Feb 10, 2016
    First it looks like the top has veneer,that can be scraped off. Also looks like the top is cracked. ?? If it is a clean crack it could be reglued. You might be able to clamp it with the top on or take the drawer out to see how it is attached(hopefully screws) take the top off & the reglue & clamp. I wouldn't just sand the paint off I would try a stripper. Your so lucky to have all original pulls. Maybe dryer sheets in the drawers, or cedar that you would use in a closet. You can buy small pcs made just for closets.
    • Sandy Sandy on Feb 10, 2016
      Thanks for the tip on the dryer sheets! Good idea.
  • Duv310660 Duv310660 on Feb 10, 2016
    Shellac will kill the smell.
  • Dfm Dfm on Feb 11, 2016
    cool piece... can't wait to see it finished up! please hit the bottom rt sq cubby with a germicidal/ disinfectant and seal it well prior to the finish coats- that area is where the chamber pot of "night soil" was stashed. some germs can hide for a very long time....some stains can come back to haunt when the humidity is high.
  • Penny gharst Penny gharst on Feb 11, 2016
    I would put a stain on the top and put a sealer on it. And I like the color and would see if just washing, cleaning etc. would work.