Cleaning Old Wood Stairs

This cleaning process might happen one more time in the year but that is about it.

Cleaning old wood stairs.

Removing old varnish and stain can give wood a fresh start. Here s how to safely clean wood furniture. Use bleach on raw wood. When this happens some serious cleaning is in order.

If you do not know what type of finish is on your wood steps know that a surface finish is shiny and is sealed with polyurethane while a penetrating finish has a matte look and is sealed with an oil or wax finish. Wooden handrails can develop a sticky texture from dirty hands body oils and even the wrong cleaning products. Since the stair handrails are used nearly every time a person goes up or down it s important to keep them clean and free of any texture that would cause a person to avoid them. Thoroughly clean exterior wood stairs every 1 3 years.

Use a soft brush. See a post i wrote about making your own class photo ornament super easy the other day i had had it. It took me this long to get grossed out enough to deep clean the wooden banisters in our house. Don protective gear an air mask is a must.

Use the soft brush to gently wipe away anything caught in the crevices and then vacuum it up. For best results use a gentle flicking motion with the bristles of the brush on the surface of the wood. You can also use or a small brush like a toothbrush to get into corners and crevices in the door. Maintenance keeps wood stairs looking their best and it can also help the wood itself last as long as possible.

Scrub with soap and warm water. Sometimes a good cleaning is all it takes to bring it back to life says wood finisher john thomas. Sanding is one of the most common methods as it cuts through varnish and. Here are his recommendations for cleaning woodwork properly.

Over time wood furniture accumulates grime that can t be removed with regular dusting. Use a mild dish soap. Cleaning sticky wooden banisters. Use soap and water on painted or stained wood.

Vacuum the area to collect loose spores. The quickest way to remove varnish stain without sanding. Dip a nonabrasive sponge into the water and scrub the surface of your wood door. A soft brush is good for brushing away small pieces of debris trapped inside the grooves and ridges of the unfinished wood.

Regular cleaning scratch and dent touch ups and occasional. Don t assume that tired woodwork has to be stripped and refinished.