Care for oak cabinets and woodwork

[Florainer]

We have a 2003 HR Imperial that has lots of beautiful golden oak cabinets and woodwork in it. The cabinets and woodwork look a little dry in some places, it seems to me they could look a bit better. We haven't done any maintenance to them in the 5-1/2 years we've owned the rig. We want to retain the current "open wood" look, it's very important that we don't change it to a sealed look, like it's been varnished or anything like that!

How are these cabinets and woodwork finished? Is it with oil? With wax? Something else? I found an article online that had tests for wood finishes. The test for an oil finish was to rub a few drops of boiled linseed oil into the wood - if it absorbs the wood has an oil finish, if it beads the wood has a "hard" finish. Per this article the test for a waxed finish is to scratch it lightly in an inconspicuous spot with your fingernail. If you can see the scratch, and if you then can buff it out with a soft cloth then your wood is waxed. I haven't tried these tests yet, I wondered what owners on this forum would have to say about and know this subject.

What do others who have genuine, beautiful golden oak cabinets and wood do to maintain theirs? Thanks very much for the help!

[Tom Cherry]

1 minute ago, Florainer said:

We have a 2003 HR Imperial that has lots of beautiful golden oak cabinets and woodwork in it. The cabinets and woodwork look a little dry in some places, it seems to me they could look a bit better. We haven't done any maintenance to them in the 5-1/2 years we've owned the rig. We want to retain the current "open wood" look, it's very important that we don't change it to a sealed look, like it's been varnished or anything like that!

How are these cabinets and woodwork finished? Is it with oil? With wax? Something else? I found an article online that had tests for wood finishes. The test for an oil finish was to rub a few drops of boiled linseed oil into the wood - if it absorbs the wood has an oil finish, if it beads the wood has a "hard" finish. Per this article the test for a waxed finish is to scratch it lightly in an inconspicuous spot with your fingernail. If you can see the scratch, and if you then can buff it out with a soft cloth then your wood is waxed. I haven't tried these tests yet, I wondered what owners on this forum would have to say about and know this subject.

What do others who have genuine, beautiful golden oak cabinets and wood do to maintain theirs? Thanks very much for the help!

Find an ACE hardware.  Purchase Howard’s Restore A Finish.  It comes in all flavors…maybe a light or dark golden oak.  You need two rags.  Application and wipe off.  Use SPARINGLY….a little bit goes a long way.  Pour a little into the smaller application rag.  Wipe WITH grain.  Do a few doors at a time.  Now WIPE OFF.  Again. With the grain.  This is a miracle product.  I salvaged many desks that had legs with flood damage.  Then, I had my crew do the rest or the desk (older REAL WOOD….finished like your woodwork).  I got rave reviews as the miracle man….

You might need two wipe off cloths….use one….then the other.  Eventually, the first one you use is discarded and you take the second one and make it the first.  

Not complicated.  It works.  I do ours every 4 - 5 years.  If you have rotator cuff issues, hire a teenager.  I had a 3 person Hispanic crew and limited skills and they learned quickly and did a great job.  Fortunately, you can’t “pour” it on.  That is when folks use too much.

Other hardware store may carry…like Towne & Country….do so internet looking or call.  This is NOT HOMER FORMBY’s product….HOWARD.  Google and read up on it.  It truly is a miracle product.  It is the new version of “Old English Scratch Remover”….which my mom swore by…

There is enough solvent (yes, it has a slight odor…for a while….the more excessive the amount…the longer it smells).  It has a light or low amount of solvent.  It removes white spots and residue and cleans.  It has a small amount of stain that fills in.  I use it at church to clean up the wooden oak baptismal “fount”.  It woks miracles….

Good Luck..

[Florainer]

Thank you very much for your prompt reply! I'm glad to hear you've had such success with Restor-A-Finish. I've looked at the SDS on Howard's website, and as of now I'm a little concerned about the ingredients: Distillates (petroleum), hydrotreated heavy paraffinic, Distillates (petroleum), light hydrotreated, Isopropanol, etc. I was hoping for a more natural product, but maybe these ingredients are fine, they just sound concerning due to their chemical descriptions. Any comments about this would be greatly appreciated!

P.S. I'm familiar with Howard Products, so I won't confuse it with a different product.

[DJ Bollinger]

I have found “old English Furniture Polish” really brings out the grain and moisturizes those dry cabinets. You can buy it for dark or light cabinets. 

[Tom Cherry]

55 minutes ago, Florainer said:

Thank you very much for your prompt reply! I'm glad to hear you've had such success with Restor-A-Finish. I've looked at the SDS on Howard's website, and as of now I'm a little concerned about the ingredients: Distillates (petroleum), hydrotreated heavy paraffinic, Distillates (petroleum), light hydrotreated, Isopropanol, etc. I was hoping for a more natural product, but maybe these ingredients are fine, they just sound concerning due to their chemical descriptions. Any comments about this would be greatly appreciated!

P.S. I'm familiar with Howard Products, so I won't confuse it with a different product.

I am a retired Engineer and former Safety & Environmental Director for a division of a Fortune 500 company that had 10 divisions….  I would never recommend a product that I was not familiar with….from both use and safety.  My division moved from last to first in 3 years (internal peer audits and “lack of compliance” data)…then I was asked to take over Safety….took 3 years to go from last to first.  I am very cautious about recommending products where untrained individuals can put themselves at risk or others or create situations that are unsafe.  I was also in charge of making sure that all our packaging, especially Prop 65 items, were compliant for California.  This is a California product and is sold there…

Read the label.  Follow the directions.  Use in a vented (ceiling fan or window open) area.  I use it in my kitchen in the winter and never an issue.  Gloves are suggested….but this is not a “respirator” or a skin rash product.  You have a solvent based, not water based finish.  It needs a certain amount of a solvent product to loosen up any stains or residues and such.  This is far from a “stripper”….either high MEK or high Solvent or High Alkaline based…

This is a “glorified” Pride or Old English furniture Polish, except it contains a little more solvent and has a quick drying oil stain that leaves a shiny finish.  It does a great job and there is no residue like a plain furniture Polish,….it will wear off, eventually, but will last for years.  I had to recover several doors of our kitchen cabinets where a professional “home cleaning franchise” used one of their “100%” natural wood cleaning products and streaked and almost ruined them.  I have been a furniture restorer as well since in college in 1965….and done more OAK than anything else.  

The only thing I left out was that if there is a stubborn residue…it happens, then 0000 steel wool, used with the grain, works well.  You asked for a cleaner and restoration product as your cabinets were dried out.  Water based or natural, except for wax or an oil (petroleum based) will not.  if you have ever “reoiled” an oil finished item, such as older walnut and gun stocks and such, then you know that boiled linseed oil is the product,  This works a lot like that….and is as safe to use.

You run the risks of using products like Simple Green and water on your stained and varnished products.  Find a natural product,,,,but test on the back side.  That will clean,  but then find a wax or a polish.  I would have been remiss if I had purchased a product without reading and then checking the MSDS Sheet…required by my own protocols….and let seemingly untrained labor use it,  Don’t drink or directly inhale it.  There are more warnings on it than one can imagine. We live in a litigious society where products are inundated with warnings…..due to lawsuits or misuse or common sense….I know that from my job.

I understand your concerns….so, either try it on the back or seek a more natural, water based product.  But, if you don’t feel safe and are concerned about the “ugly” sounding chemicals, then choose another method.  I have recommended this, as a member and moderator since 2009, and never received any negative feedback or issues.  Much to the contrary…”IT WORKS”….

As an aside, I just reviewed the MSDS sheet, again,  and also the label instructions.  Basically, I confess that I don’t wear safety glasses when I use it nor latex gloves. BUT..I did have my crew (plant wide safety glasses….as well as gloves for any product handling other than water…yes….we WERE that careful).  

That’s it.  If you do a test and don’t like it….then you will, as you do with any solvent based or petroleum product, like gasoline or motor oil or brake fluid…, use the local Hazardous Waste public forgiveness day to dispose of it and do NOT just throw in the trash….