Prepping/Cleaning Furniture Prior to Stain/paint

Leslie D
by Leslie D
Bought this really cool piece of rustic furniture at an auction, and want to stain it darker. I was shocked at how dirty this piece was when I started cleaning with TSP. I assume this was in a smoker's house, with all the yellow crud that was cleaned off, and can't imagine trying to stain or paint without a thorough cleaning first, and sealing it in for the next person. Just mixed some TSP in water, dissolved, wore rubber gloves and used a scrubbie sponge and damp cloth to remove the dirt. Well worth the half hour it took!
No, that really isn't a shadow.
After cleaning....it completely changed the color of the piece. Ready for conditioning and staining.
Before cleaning. Didn't realize how bad it really was.
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  • JoeB JoeB on Jun 17, 2016
    I acquired some beautiful pocket parlor doors from the Historic Hoyt Hotel that torn down. They are oak an d have a very lightly tinted stain (they are vintage 1890's so it may have been clear to begin with) but they have what could be water or other liquid stains that won't come out. I want to put a clear coat on them before I install them in my home but don't want to seal in the stains. Idea's?
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  • Leslie D Leslie D on Dec 08, 2013
    Yes, it's a coffee table. It came with a metal stand, like this. But I removed the stand, which I felt dated the piece to the 90s, and placed 4 large, 4" antique metal castors on the bottom, listed it on Craig's List and it sold first day for $500. I'll have to look to see if I took a photo with the castors. I bought this table, a matching end table and a nightstand at auction for $120 total. I haven't gotten around to doing the other two pieces yet. These are Gonzales Rustic Furniture pieces that cost a fortune new, but were so dirty, that I got them for a steal.
  • Cecelia Cecelia on Sep 15, 2016
    What is TSP.
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