How do I remove Years of smoke and grime off a old wooden desk?
Related Discussions
How to clean a mirror without streaks?
Every time I clean my mirrors, they end up having tons of streaks and almost look worse than before I started. What could I use to clean them that won't leave streaks... See more
How to clean burns on stainless steel pans?
Help! I burned my pan. How do I clean stainless steel cookware that's been burned?
How to clean shower doors
How to clean glass shower doors
How to clean hardwood floors in the kitchen?
What is the best way to clean hardwood floors in the kitchen?
How to clean my kitchen cabinets from grease?
My kitchen cabinets are embarrassingly greasy. Please share your degreasing tips with me so I don't have to cringe every time I glance at my cabinets.
How do I remove a smoke smell from the garage?
how do I remove smoke smell from garage?
What can I do to remove the old house smell from my 100 year old house
I’ve tried everything, cleaning thoroughly, fabreeze. Mr clean, etc
citrus stripper....
Ok...thought about it again. Dip strip it. The tar from the nicotine is probably still on it. It's not something you want on your skin, or to breath in. Check for refinishing shops...ther can safely remove the finish...you can put the new one on. Nicotine is a carcinogen. I.e. Causes cancer.
Nicotine is sticky, I would go to the Dollar Tree and get the half gallon of Awesome Orange, get kitchen rubber gloves, mix the Orange in some real warm water.
Hot water and ammonia and a medium bristled brush. Wear gloves, safety goggles and a mask.
You might want to do this in two steps: 1. Remove the tar stain and then 2. Refinish the desk.
The reason that I say this is because I ran into the same problem with my grandparent's bedroom suite. I removed the tar using a mix of warm water, white vinegar and dawn dish-washing liquid. I used an old wash rag dipped in the solution and just kept wiping it on the surface until it wiped clean and dry with a paper towel. Because it's wood you do not want to saturate the desk and you want to get the water off as quickly as possible, I would wring out the rag just until it wasn't dripping and then started on the furniture.
Here's a good strong mix to try: Two cups of white vinegar mixed into 1/2 gallon of water with a healthy squirt of dawn (not too much because you don't want a frothy mess).
Be patient and take your time. Be sure to wipe down the insides and outsides of the drawers and the inside of the carcass as well to remove all smoke odors.
You may find that once you've removed the tar from the piece that it won't even need to be refinished!
Find a good stripper, and maybe sand it lightly. I would use an electric one you can rent one from Homedepot or Lowe's for a half-day rental. Call to see how much it cost. If you want to just clean it first, use Murphy's oil soap,. and put a little elbow grease into it. It should leave à nice shine. If you sand it. and put a varnish on, seal it. If you paint use high gloss, so you can clean it with a rag. EJL
Thanks so much for all the tips. I will return and let y'all know what worked out best for me.