Cleaning Antiques

[Jerry Bruette]

A friend at work has a cuckoo clock that's been his family for over a hundred years and he's wondering what to use for cleaning and refreshing the finish. He's not looking to refinish the clock, but wants to brighten up the finish. Any suggestions?

[Steve Schoene]

You can use naphtha to remove oily dirt. Use plenty of paper towels so you aren't just spreading the dirt around. For water soluble dirt, use water with just a few drops of dish soap like Dawn. The soap is just to break surface tension, not create a bunch of suds.

[Bill White]

I have used GoJo hand cleaner on antiques with good success. It removes all the old waxes, oils, smoke film, etc. without harming the finish. Just a thought for you.
Bill