White haze on antique wood
by Denise King
+11
I cleaned my antique wood radio cabinet with rubbing alcohol due to an "experts" advice and now have a white haze on the finish. How do I fix this?
11 answers
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How about a little mayonnaise?would try it in a small spot,it might work!
![Funnygirl]()
Funnygirl
on Jul 07, 2015
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Did they tell you rubbing alcohol or denatured alcohol?
![Sherrie]()
Sherrie
on Jul 07, 2015
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I'm not sure what expert lol said rubbing alcohol.... Should have been denatured alcohol. And rubbing alcohol wouldn't hurt unfinished wood......well, bc it has no finish. It's plan wood without a finish to harm. When you used it on finish furniture you broke down the molecules in the chemical used to protect and seal it. Which is normal clear but bc the bonding in the molecules has been broken.... Its caused a haze. Easiest was to fix that is gonna be to try and sand lightly over it and then reapply your top coat. Probably more than 1 coat will be needed. But it is very easy to fix.
![Kristi Achord-Neucere]()
Kristi Achord-Neucere
on Jul 07, 2015
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I was hoping not to have to sand it. I'm afraid I might lose the original colors. The piece is a very old radio cabinet with multiple colors of stains, not veneer. I hoping not to lose it. I was trying to restore it to the vibrant colors before sealing it because the protective finish is long gone.
![Denise King]()
Denise King
on Jul 08, 2015
- See 1 previous
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Maybe try a hair dryer - I tried this on a blotch and surprisingly it worked - use the low setting move slowly and don't rush it .
![Vicki Gay]()
Vicki Gay
on Jul 08, 2015
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Try using some kind of furniture oil on the whole piece to make sure you don't have color differences.
![Kathy Meador Wells]()
Kathy Meador Wells
on Jul 08, 2015
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Putting heat on the haze would be a great idea..... Except this isn't a water ring, or it being hazed bc of being wet. Unfortunately this haze is not do to being wet or damp. This haze is due to the break down in the moluclues of the clear coat. Think of it like this.... If you paint your finger nails and follow it with a clear top coat. You decided to "clean" your nails and (for whatever reason lol) used acetone instead of soap. When you wipe the acetone on..... What is it gonna do to that top coat? How do you fix it? Not with oil or heat.
![Kristi Achord-Neucere]()
Kristi Achord-Neucere
on Jul 08, 2015
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Actually, I think you can try wiping it down with the denatured alcohol, which you should have done the first time. It should take the haze out of the color without damaging it. I have used it before on furniture that the finished was hazy, and it cleared it up. But do yourself a favor, and test it in a inconspicuous place first where no one will notice if it doesn't work. And whatever you do, do not rub, just simply wipe.
![Jill]()
Jill
on Jul 09, 2015
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Thank you, I did test a spot on the piece that the rubbing alcohol I was told to use did not haze. The front of the piece was just more delicate then the out of site spot. So far Kristi's trick has helped, and made the wood silky smooth as an added bonus.
![Denise King]()
Denise King
on Jul 09, 2015
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Try Murphys Oil soap.
![Cindy]()
Cindy
on Jul 09, 2015
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![Doris Jean Miller]()
Doris Jean Miller
on Feb 19, 2017
This product works every time. The Victorian House Finish Rejuvenator. I discovered it years ago when my grandson decided to clean my wood with scrubbing bubbles. It turned the finish white and streaky. I saw this product at the home and garden show and of course didn't buy it and found them again after a long search because that was BEFORE Google. lol Any way you can read about it on their website now. Its made in Oklahoma. www.thevictorianhouseproducts.com![]()
Funnygirl
on Jul 07, 2015
Sherrie
on Jul 07, 2015
Kristi Achord-Neucere
on Jul 07, 2015
Vicki Gay
on Jul 08, 2015
Kathy Meador Wells
on Jul 08, 2015
Jill
on Jul 09, 2015
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