How to Restore Shine to a Faded Antique Wood Surface

How to restore shine to a fade antique wood surface

• 1

  Clean the surface with a soft cloth. It isn't always necessary to use a moist cloth or a cleaning agent. If it is necessary, use furniture cleaner and not a polish. Allow the wood surface to dry before you continue.

• 2

  Remove water stains. You don't always have to work on the entire wood surface; sometimes you can work on just the small section with a water ring. For water stains, you can smooth a white T-shirt over the stain and iron over it with a hot iron. To avoid burning the wood, do not leave the iron in one place longer than a few seconds. Lift the T-shirt and check the progress, if you can still see the water mark, repeat the process.

• 3

  Evaluate whether you need to strip the old finish down to the original wood. In some cases, cleaning may not remove the layers of caked-on dirt or stubborn stains. You can work on a small area to remove stains or blemishes in the shine, but you need to ensure you match the finish of the new section to the rest of the wood surface. To help the restoration blend in, you can look for natural breaks in the surface to define your work area.

• 4

  Use 0000 steel wool, sandpaper or chemical strippers to remove the old finish. Steel wool often has a finer grit than the finest sandpaper, so it acts as a gentle abrasive that can buff out stains. If stains persist, you can use fine grit sandpaper and move to coarser grits as needed. Some people prefer to use a chemical stripper, which can allow you to skip the abrasive agents. To prevent damage, test the technique in an inconspicious area before you try it on a focal point.

• 5

  Determine the correct restoration product to use. Products for finish restoration often have a tint or a stain, so pick the right color to use. If you can't find an exact match, choose the closest color. When the color of your wood furniture falls between two color options, choose the lighter color; you can always add more stain to darken the color.

• 6

  Apply the restoration product following the grain of the wood. The product should come with instructions. In general, you want to apply the product to a clean rag and then rub the rag along the surface of the wood. To get an even application, you want to use a consistent amount of product for each wipe. Clean up any drips as quickly as possible to prevent an uneven finish.

• 7

  Protect the wood with a wood sealant, which can protect the restored finish for a longer period of time. You'll want to use a clear sealant to allow the restored finish to shine through. If you use a sand sealant, use a very fine grade of sandpaper once the sealant dries, which will increase the luster.