How to clean sticky furniture

Q: I was reading your reply to Anna V., whose household furniture was developing a sticky feel. The sticky furniture could be due to oil softening the finish. Possible sources are from airborne cooking oil, body oil from hands and oil in furniture polish.

Airborne cooking oil can coat many different surfaces, such as the sticky light chain that Anna described. Nonporous surfaces can be cleaned with household cleaners.

Leaving excess furniture polish on wood surfaces can cause softening or stickiness; always wipe furniture completely dry after using polish to avoid this situation. Oil-softened furniture can be cleaned using 0000 steel wool and mineral spirits thinner. (Note: do this in a very well-ventilated area; ideally, take the furniture outside.) Body oil from hands can also cause this problem; furniture should be cleaned in the same way as above. Once the furniture is cleaned, it will need a new topcoat of varnish as most of it will be removed in the cleaning process.

I have a boat that contains a lot of teak wood trim. The trim is finished with varnish. This boat is always in a humid environment, and when we spend nights out on the water, it gets a heavy coat of dew. I clean it with soap and water, and after eight years, the trim has never gotten sticky or gotten water spots. I don’t coat it with oil-based furniture polish. Modern factory-built furniture has a lacquer finish, and if properly maintained will not get water spots or sticky. — Frank C., via e-mail

A: Wow! That’s a wealth of information for readers, and I hope they’ll consider your maintenance advice. Again, keep in mind that mineral spirits should be used in a well-ventilated area. Wipe away excess with a clean cloth and let the surface dry completely. Additionally, if an affected piece of furniture is an antique, consider hiring a furniture-restoration specialist to prevent unintentional damage.

HOME TIP: Wipe down wood furniture with a dry or slightly dampened soft cloth on a regular basis to remove dust and debris and prolong the life of the piece.