Dealing with goopy antiques

Q: How can I clean some old wooden furniture? I inherited an antique dining room set from my parents, but it needs help. My mother furniture-polished the wood to death. How do I remove all the old polish, especially the oily hand prints on the arms of the chairs? The wood is oak and the buffet is oak veneer. I don’t want to change the colour of the wood, just get the goop off. Do I use lacquer thinner and steel wool or something like 3M wood stripper? Once I get it clean, what type of finish do you recommend?

A: First you have to decide if you just want to clean the old finish or actually strip it and refinish. I'd start by cleaning. Try different mild solvents, gingerly, in hidden places. If a particular solvent seems to work but not quickly enough, try rubbing it very gently with an old Scotch-Brite pad. A new one will probably be too abrasive. Get one that’s well worn and soft. I’d recommend you start with a solvent like Orange-Glo, a mild citrus-based solvent. You might try mineral spirits next. The lacquer thinner you mentioned is very strong, particularly if the original finish is lacquer. It’ll simply melt what’s there. Caution is the watch word. If stripping is the plan, you'll find many products to do the job. But since your set is an antique, you should have it examined by an expert before doing anything. Old-time finishes (even if they aren't perfect) can sometimes add great value to vintage furniture. Stripped antiques, even if they look better than they did with the old finish, are often less valuable.