Getting Water Out of Antique Wood

Taking care of wood furniture especially the antique furniture is challenging. It can be also heart-breaking to see a valued piece of furniture gets damaged by water. Flooding is among the cause that brings to water damage towards your household things. The damages from flooding can cause damaging stains and the furniture’s wood integrity. You will need to make sure that when it comes to repair a piece of antique furniture, special care is needed so there won’t be more harm done. Here are the steps on how to save your antique furniture from water damages.

You will need:

  1. Car wax
  2. Salt
  3. Cleaning Cloth
  4. Furniture Polish
  5. Baking Soda
  6. Dehumidifier

Antique Wood

Steps:

  1. First, leave the piece of furniture to dry or wipe it down with a cleaning cloth. Run a dehumidifier in the room if it is quite damp to help the furniture to dry much faster. Sometimes, it can be enough to make a small stain less noticeable by drying it.
  2. Then, use furniture polish to rub white water stains. If the stain is small, it is sufficient for you to use the furniture polish. You could also try car wax for a heavier polish if the stain cannot be covered by the furniture polish. Try the car wax by applying it on a corner of the stain. However, if the stains cannot be removed, you can use the next step instead.
  3. This alternative step will need you to make a slight abrasive mixture of salt, a few drops of furniture wax or water and then rub it gently on the furniture’s stains. Another mixture of baking soda with 1 teaspoon or less of water will also help to remove the stains.
  4. Apply the baking soda mixture or the salt mixture at the stains area for awhile before removing them. Pat the furniture with a clean cloth to remove the salt or baking soda mixture. Leave your furniture to dry for at least overnight. You can use car or furniture wax to cover the improved stains afterward.
  5. If your furniture is damaged in many places or concern of keeping the furniture as authentic as possible, take it to a repair shop and let a professional restore it for you.

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

Antique Auto Body Wood Work for the Restorer

Refinishing & Finishing Wood