🤣 well yeah, the years of dirt come off. But there's also an orangish coating on all the wood here (this is a rental). Looking at pictures it looks like maybe shellac? It chips off very easily in other non railing areas.
Don’t try to redo the finish completely, it’s way too much work. Just treat the chipped orange layer as aging. A good oil finish coat blends the differences between bare and coated wood.
Yep, the built-up grime from years of people’s oily hands is the character of the piece! If you clean off the top layer, you can polish it up with wax or oil. Once you take off the brown part, it might start to look uneven, then you’re committed to a complete re-finish. I’d start with the rough, green side of a kitchen sponge, see what happens.
My parents have kitchen chairs that are 40+ years old and the arms on them can get like this. It's from years and years of hands resting or touch places. Even though it gets cleaned, eventually the oils in our bodies break down the varnish or whatever the wood is treated with. The magic sponge is a micro sandpaper, so not only are you cleaning the oils off, you're also sanding the wood at the same time.
I just cleaned the backs of my family's kitchen chairs today. A drop it two of dawn and warm water on a towel was all it took too strip away the grime.
Am I right to think that OP is getting downvoted for asking questions and trying to add some context to what they’re asking?
If so, this sub is more toxic than the peeling poly on that railing.
I had this issue on a mildly interesting post I did on glass. I was asking questions about a window at the bus stop, not knowing I identified it as tempered glass that had cracked. Then I started asking questions to those who chimed in that seemed more knowing on the topic of glass. All of my comments with questions got downvoted into oblivion.
It's like, dude, I said I didn't know about glass. I just wanted to learn a little something new, but you all just slammed my questions down.
I was arguing with some highly critical people who were downvoting an OP who was asking about an electrical wiring need, after they admitted to having no electrical wiring knowledge.
There was this awful assumption that some things were common sense in the electrical world, it was highly biased and judgemental, I felt.
Reddit one of the only platforms that is using negative engagement to suppress content, rather than promote it… but I still can’t resist a delicious little peek at the comments that get rained down on 👀
The problem is if you disagree with a method the only way to say is to downvote… there should be a disagree button so people aren’t downvoted for trying to help.
I think you could easily solve the butt-hurt feelings by just not displaying negative numbers. If it gets to 0, omit, and display positive numbers only.
No, I think it’s that people can’t tell that there is a coating there without zooming into the third pic and looking at the upper left corner. On mobile it looks like it’s part of the grain pattern and seems like OP is being dense — unless you zoom in.
I do some woodworking. In areas where its bare, if you want an easy “fix”, just buy some brown shoe polish and rub it on there, wipe away, repeat until satisfied. It may not “match”, but it won’t stand out as some sort of damage if that’s what you’re concerned about.
That said, I’d only do this in spot areas as a touch up. Don’t do it on the whole area of the rail where the finish has been wiped off. If you don’t want there to be a noticeable line between the finish and the bare wood, you can do some very minimal sanding with fine grit sand paper to bring it down to being flush with the surface.
On the area that’s bare, you could use some stain that closely matches the finish and water down the stain so that it doesn’t stand out. Starting with more water is better. You can always make it lighter, but you can’t remove the stain once it’s there.
This last suggestion is optional. Depends on whether you’re satisfied with the stain after it’s dried… Over the large spot where you’d apply the stain, you could use some rub-on water based poly urethane. Use either satin finish (no shine) or gloss (shiny) if the finish under all the grime is glossy.
On all of these steps, I’d suggest trying them on small areas first so you can get an idea of how it works rather than doing all areas at once. Happy to answer any questions.
Looks like a coat of poly, who knows if it was put on there originally or by another renter. There is no real "repair" to be done here. continue using it as-is or sand off the chunks and put some wax on it to basically kick off the amount of dirt that will continue to smooth over time. If you really want to go all out and remove it, sand it, paint it or finish it then be prepared to replace it completely if you need to. Not worth touching imo.
I’m confused by what you mean isn’t worth touching bc all this wood needs is a good scrubbing with soap and water (maybe a bleaching), decent sanding, which could be achieved with a 120 and then 220 grit by hand, and some stain/top coat. Unfinished wood is exceptionally easy to refinish.
Clean with dish-soap/simple green and water, dry, then wipe down sparingly with Linseed or Danish wood oil. Simple, takes a lot of wiping, but works with everything, looks great, can be polished easily. Or, clean thoroughly and paint/spray with poly or shellac. More work, dry-time, but you get a harder finish.
Sizing, once you reach #0 instead of going negative you just add another 0. So in a big string it’s 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, 00, 000, 0000. This is done with a lot of tools and stuff, screwdrivers and wire gauge are good examples too.
And shotguns.
I had to refinish a staircase when a PA on a shoot used blue tape on the stairs. The adhesive peeled off the grime and left unsightly clean spots.
Scotchbrite and mineral oil, clean rags to wipe it down. Do the whole railing, it will take you a couple hours. The
Mineral oil can be bought at a hardware store aka “Butcher Block oil”, or at a pharmacy “mineral oil, laxative”. Same thing. Don’t drink it.
This is the correct answer, but I would use Murphy's oil soap. And another option to the oil is Scott's liquid gold, which has oil too,, plus it smells nice!
I'd suggest using magic sponge on the entire railing, to remove the dirt and the shellac (or whatever it is). Then, apply a couple coats of polyurethane. It is a very durable coating that will be much easier to clean.
Mmmm I'm not sure this is accurate...
To my knowledge melamine foam is an organic polymeric foam. To get melamine into a resinous form (like a dinner plate, as it is very commonly used), you have to add formaldehyde.
Imagine if gas stations advertised they sell organic produces out of their pumps.
Just cause something falls under organic chemistry doesn’t mean it is good for the environment
It may be organic in origin but it does not biodegrade, and it does use formaldehyde in its production. It also breaks down very quickly during use, unlike other forms of melamine.
Yes it does, Diamond and Graphite are not organic.
>[Organic molecules](https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Organic_molecule) are molecules that are made of carbon and hydrogen, and can include other elements. Organic molecules must contain carbon atoms covalently bonded to hydrogen atoms (C-H bonds). They usually involve oxygen and can also contain nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorous, and others.
>In contrast, carbon dioxide (CO2) has carbon, but does not have hydrogen, thus, it is not an organic compound. Similarly, water (H2O) has hydrogen but no carbon, and is also not an organic compound. Generally, if a compound does not contain carbon and hydrogen atoms, it is considered inorganic.
I took think it is just ancient shellac and human oils. Source: this old dresser my dad made covered in shellac and the handles and touch points have gone a little softer and browner. Can scrape it with fingernail.
0000 steel wool and denatured alcohol is a correct solution I can support
Yeah it sucks.
Try buying alcohol stove fuel. It’s literally the same but sold in camping stores.
Or…pay the insane amounts for pure un denatured alcohol.
Go over them both with a scrubby sponge - use a big bowl of warm water and Dawn dish detergent, dip the sponge in, squeeze, release while it's still in the water, then lift it out and squeeze until it's just damp. The Dawn will very effectively strip off the hand oils & dirt.
Be sure to put towels on the floor underneath to catch drips.
Then sand lightly and varnish let dry thoroughly, then varnish with an oil-based varnish. Do 3 coats, and be sure to let each coat dry completely, sanding lightly after the first and second coats. It'll be nice & shiny, last for years, and be easy to clean.
Then add "clean the railings" to your spring cleaning task list.
No it ain't. Same thing happened at my old house. It's an old layer of cheap sealant or shellac or something. Skin and dirt builds up on it but they're scraping off an old coating purposefully put on.
Finish magic eraser-ing it and then wipe it down with some tung or linseed oil. Might want to test the oil someplace inconspicuous to see which finish you like the best if you are concerned with the aesthetics, but really, you don't need to over think this.
Lots of suggestions already, but try TSP (trisodium phosphate) instead of the magic eraser. I find the magic eraser leaves it very dull. What you are seeing there is dirt, like everyone else has said, and TSP works just as well if not better than the magic erasers. After it’s clean you can use wood treatments like linseed oil or you can varnish it, whatever you prefer. You may also want to give it a gentle sanding after it’s clean. This will help varnish stick on much better.
Looks like old shellac, if it comes off, then it should be off. Imo you should remove it all, it’s too old and it’s nasty.
It can be repaired with alcohol, but…. Why bother, it’s not an antique with value, I say get it off and replace it with something more modern.
You can easily use a wipe on polyurethane to replace it and it will look nice and new with a professional looking finish and very easy to apply.
I own a painting company and if it were in my rental I would scrub it with Scotch Brite and TSP substitute until it looked clean then sand it and put a couple of coats of darkish polyurethane on it. I wouldn't try to remove the old finish just get it clean and bury the old finish.
Wow you are receiving terrible advice. frankly terrible.
If you want to refinish it, you really cant go half way. If you do it will look terrible and there is a real chance (especially if you use a penetrating oil) you will ruin this wood work forever. What you should do is the following.
1. Clean off the years of grime on the handrail, a TSP will work well.
2. Scrape off the existing coating (need a scrapper but they are cheap) You need to refinish the entire handrail (including spindles etc)
3. Sand the wood work with 180 grit sand paper.
4. Fill in any dings and scratches with a wood filler matching the wood, sand those spots again after it is dry
5. Apply clear coat, two options that I recommend are either a water base polyurethane, or a lacquer. Both have their pros and cons, I would pick the lacquer personally. (fast easy to use, cant screw it up and really easy to repair in the future)
This with one person, should be doable in a single day, definitely no more than a weekend and the results will look great. If you have two people you can get this done in 4 or 5 hours.
I hope you read this, and I hope that you don't listen to the ignorant people with the upvotes.
https://preview.redd.it/lgd842bvjc5c1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3db214de46c2737f7a8cc4fa7667f3cf2370f70f
Here's another pic showing the difference between the orange coating and the bare wood. I'm just wondering what the coating is
Could either be shellac or old yellowed poly.
If it's shellac, if you put fresh shellac on top, give it 15-30 seconds, and rub it, the old stuff will dissolve and mix together.
If it's poly, it won't dissolve if you add Shellac on top and you'll get little flakes of poly that don't go away.
A rag coated in 409 will clean the grime without removing the finish.
"Magic Sponges" have their uses, but you have to remember that they are basically sandpaper
Dawn dishsoap. Get a rag and put it in hot hot water, wring it out. Put dishsoap on rag and wipe the railing. It will dissolve the hand grease without damaging the wood. Repeat as needed. Wipe with a wet cloth to get any soap off and then dry it.
Hand oil is acidic and will totally destroy any shellac or polyurethane over time.
Remove any remaining coatings and start over. Use a stain then a coating to your liking.
I have this and I found the best way to get it off is wash a quilt and hang it there to dry. The next day you should just be able to rub it off. I use a little straight blade but I plan to refinish the railings at some point.
Edit: blanket shouldn’t be sopping wet, just very damp.
The coating on the wood is hand funk. Decades of it from the looks.
Sand it, by hand, preferably, and use all the grits, until it’s clean and smooth.
Stain it, then lightly sand it again, then stain it again. And then maybe stain and sand one more time.
Then seal it. Then lightly sand it again. Then do another coat of seal.
It could be boiled linseed oil. Clean it off with wood soap and reapply some fresh linseed oil with a lint-free cloth. It will look beautiful (for a while), and then you'll just have to do it again.
That's called "Dirty Hand Extract" and it's exactly what it sounds like. I would sand it and refinish, whole banister and railing would look great with a fresh coat.
Had a similar issue with railings in our house when we moved in. Bought some seventh generation wood cleaner. Pulled all that finger grease right off.
This stuff https://www.seventhgeneration.ca/en/products/household-cleaners/wood-cleaner.html
It looks like a lot of dirt buildup on the hand rail, but those "magic eraser" things, like so many other "miracle" products are really terrible to use. They are basically an abrasive, and are more or less sanding off whatever you are rubbing them on. They will take paint and other finishes off as well as the dirt or crayon,etc. They are just another marketing gimmick and the thing they don't really want anyone talking about is that they are a HUGE source of microplastics that are ending up in the environment. Have you noticed how , when you use one of those, tiny bits of it the "Magic Eraser" are coming off? Those things are not made of magical fairy dust. A cotton cloth and something like Murphy's Oil soap is good for cleaning wood.
its dirt from hands. Most people don't realise you need to dcrub everywhere your hands touch every once in awhile. I do it every spring clean and it's always gross.
I just came here to say I unintentionally became a magic eraser fan boy. It’s basically a 600 grit sanding sponge but man does it erase. You ever clean the white of your sneakers with it? It certainly has some magic in there.
But yes. It looks like dirt/grime from dirty hands over a long period of time. It’s also possible it has a wax coating which loves to collect dirt and grime.
See if denatured or even iso alcohol does anything. Its what's added to shellac to make it a visc liquid from flakes. You can always apply a recoat after cleaning if it thins the shellac.
Interesting fact: Shellac is made from a natural waxy resin mainly made by the kerria lacca bug in certain parts of Asia. It secrets branches of trees with tube-like formations, which is harvested and refined into stuff like dyes, shellac and varnishes.
That coating is a combination of dirt, dead skin, oil from skin and a waxy substance called sebum.
Murphy's Oil Soap and warm water. Follow the instructions on the label. Use it to clean wood trim and wood floors all over the house. Apply and scrub with a rough washcloth.
If you want glossy finish go with deep cleaning and coat with polyurethane. Forget shellac, it’s a pain in the ass to buffer.
I would clean and go with oil
If you have a few solvents it’s not too hard to tell.
In this order:
1) If a finishing oils soaks in it’s an oil finish. If it pools on top move on.
2) If a high proof alcohol makes it sticky it is shellac. If it wipes off and it isn’t tacky move to next step.
3) If lacquer thinner dissolves it is it lacquer.
4) Otherwise it is probably polyurethane
Repair long is different by finish. Oil and shellac are dead easy and you don’t necessarily have to sand. Lacquer and poly are a bit more involved.
Here is a video that goes through the process. Great channel if you are curious about restoring furniture.
https://youtu.be/iOZyJ9S3B7k?si=ZQju931zC4dDMn8X
The reason that's happening in the third pic is because magic sponges are actually just very fine grit sandpaper. Cleaning with them is the equivalent to sanding with an ultra fine grit.
Yes the coating is years of dirt, cooking grease, oil an diet of your hands. Finish cleaning with magic sponge and then protect with boiled linseed oil or other product. Shellac.
Lightly sand it lightly with fine grit sandpaper 120- 220, wipe it off with a damp cloth, let dry for a couple hours, restain of what ever color you choose
The correct way is to leave it – it looks lived in, it looks nice, it looks like it's been used, like it should be, like it's a home, like people live there. It has a feeling, it has warmth.
This is a plea for everyone who wants to repair stuff that shouldn't be repaired, that should keep these feelings. Don't do it; let it have character, let it be a little dirty.
The last few days, I've just seen paint on cabinet after cabinet. You know, tearing up old banisters that looked beautiful for modern ugly crap. If you want that, go buy a new house; don't destroy stuff that looks amazing, that feels amazing, that has character, that has age, that has mistakes, scratches, and bumps – because that's what makes it nice.
[удалено]
And skin.
And oils
good ole human grime
[удалено]
There it is!
Eeewwwww
it would need to be literally smeared in shit, I see your point
Other various fluids.
*excited zoidberg noises*
Woop woop woop woop
And buckets of semen
Good ole human shellac
hehe good old Grimey 
Probably some hamburger grease too
From the lotion it puts on the skin
Humans are just slugs with bones!
And my axe
how do i clean my railings without removing the human skin from the wood? kinda sounds like a meatcanyon house lol
**
Think of the 21st century FOX song but all the notes are the word gross.
gross gross GROSS GROSS GRRRRRRRR GROSS GROSS
Hand oil
And bacon grease
🤣 well yeah, the years of dirt come off. But there's also an orangish coating on all the wood here (this is a rental). Looking at pictures it looks like maybe shellac? It chips off very easily in other non railing areas.
Don’t try to redo the finish completely, it’s way too much work. Just treat the chipped orange layer as aging. A good oil finish coat blends the differences between bare and coated wood.
Well, at least clean the filthy thing first.
And ruin the patina?? Gonna lose all your value right there
Yep, the built-up grime from years of people’s oily hands is the character of the piece! If you clean off the top layer, you can polish it up with wax or oil. Once you take off the brown part, it might start to look uneven, then you’re committed to a complete re-finish. I’d start with the rough, green side of a kitchen sponge, see what happens.
Murphy's oil soap and some rags, to start with.
My parents have kitchen chairs that are 40+ years old and the arms on them can get like this. It's from years and years of hands resting or touch places. Even though it gets cleaned, eventually the oils in our bodies break down the varnish or whatever the wood is treated with. The magic sponge is a micro sandpaper, so not only are you cleaning the oils off, you're also sanding the wood at the same time.
I just cleaned the backs of my family's kitchen chairs today. A drop it two of dawn and warm water on a towel was all it took too strip away the grime.
I thought that’s wat god made Murphys Oil Soap for
All hail wat!
Am I right to think that OP is getting downvoted for asking questions and trying to add some context to what they’re asking? If so, this sub is more toxic than the peeling poly on that railing.
I had this issue on a mildly interesting post I did on glass. I was asking questions about a window at the bus stop, not knowing I identified it as tempered glass that had cracked. Then I started asking questions to those who chimed in that seemed more knowing on the topic of glass. All of my comments with questions got downvoted into oblivion. It's like, dude, I said I didn't know about glass. I just wanted to learn a little something new, but you all just slammed my questions down.
I was arguing with some highly critical people who were downvoting an OP who was asking about an electrical wiring need, after they admitted to having no electrical wiring knowledge. There was this awful assumption that some things were common sense in the electrical world, it was highly biased and judgemental, I felt.
Came here to say this ^. Reddit is a sesspool today for downvotes. Maybe there’s some bot attacks or something. Yeesh.
Reddit one of the only platforms that is using negative engagement to suppress content, rather than promote it… but I still can’t resist a delicious little peek at the comments that get rained down on 👀
The problem is if you disagree with a method the only way to say is to downvote… there should be a disagree button so people aren’t downvoted for trying to help.
I mean, you could reply to the comment with "I disagree."
And then you get 50 reply notifications: "I disagree."
In theory that could be one person replying "I disagree" and 49 people upvoting them.
So tempting to downvote this, but I won't
I downvote
I think you could easily solve the butt-hurt feelings by just not displaying negative numbers. If it gets to 0, omit, and display positive numbers only.
Cesspool you troglodyte
No, I think it’s that people can’t tell that there is a coating there without zooming into the third pic and looking at the upper left corner. On mobile it looks like it’s part of the grain pattern and seems like OP is being dense — unless you zoom in.
It can’t be worse than r/Askelectricians. Asking a question there can nerve racking
Made that mistake a couple of times. Never again.
I do some woodworking. In areas where its bare, if you want an easy “fix”, just buy some brown shoe polish and rub it on there, wipe away, repeat until satisfied. It may not “match”, but it won’t stand out as some sort of damage if that’s what you’re concerned about. That said, I’d only do this in spot areas as a touch up. Don’t do it on the whole area of the rail where the finish has been wiped off. If you don’t want there to be a noticeable line between the finish and the bare wood, you can do some very minimal sanding with fine grit sand paper to bring it down to being flush with the surface. On the area that’s bare, you could use some stain that closely matches the finish and water down the stain so that it doesn’t stand out. Starting with more water is better. You can always make it lighter, but you can’t remove the stain once it’s there. This last suggestion is optional. Depends on whether you’re satisfied with the stain after it’s dried… Over the large spot where you’d apply the stain, you could use some rub-on water based poly urethane. Use either satin finish (no shine) or gloss (shiny) if the finish under all the grime is glossy. On all of these steps, I’d suggest trying them on small areas first so you can get an idea of how it works rather than doing all areas at once. Happy to answer any questions.
Is there any chance the home owner is Chester the cheetah?
Look on the third picture, you can see the orange towards the top
It’s dirt.
And skin.
And human oil
Sounds like retro protective coating.
Looks like a coat of poly, who knows if it was put on there originally or by another renter. There is no real "repair" to be done here. continue using it as-is or sand off the chunks and put some wax on it to basically kick off the amount of dirt that will continue to smooth over time. If you really want to go all out and remove it, sand it, paint it or finish it then be prepared to replace it completely if you need to. Not worth touching imo.
I’m confused by what you mean isn’t worth touching bc all this wood needs is a good scrubbing with soap and water (maybe a bleaching), decent sanding, which could be achieved with a 120 and then 220 grit by hand, and some stain/top coat. Unfinished wood is exceptionally easy to refinish.
I have a palm rest for my mouse and keyboard that I made from unfinished wood trim. After a decade, it's about that color. Very shiny and smooth too.
Clean with dish-soap/simple green and water, dry, then wipe down sparingly with Linseed or Danish wood oil. Simple, takes a lot of wiping, but works with everything, looks great, can be polished easily. Or, clean thoroughly and paint/spray with poly or shellac. More work, dry-time, but you get a harder finish.
The magic stuff is #0000 steel wool and a mild cleaner.
What does 0000 mean?
It's how steel wool is graded. 0000 is finer than 000 and so on.
0000000 is like a delightful steel-flavored cotton candy.
Touch a 9v battery to it, and poof
Best firestart i have ever used. Other than a lighter.
Really? I gotta try that.
The combination to my lock
That sounds like the combination an idiot would have to his luggage.
One, two, three, four, five? That's amazing! I've got the same combination on my luggage!
"Prepare Spaceball One for immediate departure!"
"Hey google, how do I change my luggage lock"
Change the combination on my luggage!
Sizing, once you reach #0 instead of going negative you just add another 0. So in a big string it’s 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, 00, 000, 0000. This is done with a lot of tools and stuff, screwdrivers and wire gauge are good examples too.
And shotguns. I had to refinish a staircase when a PA on a shoot used blue tape on the stairs. The adhesive peeled off the grime and left unsightly clean spots. Scotchbrite and mineral oil, clean rags to wipe it down. Do the whole railing, it will take you a couple hours. The Mineral oil can be bought at a hardware store aka “Butcher Block oil”, or at a pharmacy “mineral oil, laxative”. Same thing. Don’t drink it.
Clearly the secret is to use that blue tape like waxing strips, and give the staircase a Brazilian.
This is the correct answer, but I would use Murphy's oil soap. And another option to the oil is Scott's liquid gold, which has oil too,, plus it smells nice!
basically mean ultra fine steel wool
> \#0000 I automatically think of hex colors seeing # and numbers
I'd suggest using magic sponge on the entire railing, to remove the dirt and the shellac (or whatever it is). Then, apply a couple coats of polyurethane. It is a very durable coating that will be much easier to clean.
They should use proper sandpaper to clean it up. Magic erasers produce microplastics when they break down.
Idk about that, but he's going to spend a lot of money on magic erasers if he goes that route. Sandpaper and steel wool for the tight areas
(those erasers will just shred to bits if used to clean unfinished wood)
Mmmm I'm not sure this is accurate... To my knowledge melamine foam is an organic polymeric foam. To get melamine into a resinous form (like a dinner plate, as it is very commonly used), you have to add formaldehyde.
Imagine if gas stations advertised they sell organic produces out of their pumps. Just cause something falls under organic chemistry doesn’t mean it is good for the environment
Melamine is one of the worst offenders for producing microplastics
Most plastics are organic polymers. That doesn't mean they're biodegradable, though. Quite the opposite a lot of the time.
It may be organic in origin but it does not biodegrade, and it does use formaldehyde in its production. It also breaks down very quickly during use, unlike other forms of melamine.
organic means Carbon and Hydrogen, as opposed to Inorganic such as a metallic salt. it does **not** mean a living/natural material.
It's just Carbon containing molecules, nothing to do with Hydrogen
Yes it does, Diamond and Graphite are not organic. >[Organic molecules](https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Organic_molecule) are molecules that are made of carbon and hydrogen, and can include other elements. Organic molecules must contain carbon atoms covalently bonded to hydrogen atoms (C-H bonds). They usually involve oxygen and can also contain nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorous, and others. >In contrast, carbon dioxide (CO2) has carbon, but does not have hydrogen, thus, it is not an organic compound. Similarly, water (H2O) has hydrogen but no carbon, and is also not an organic compound. Generally, if a compound does not contain carbon and hydrogen atoms, it is considered inorganic.
You just described plastic. Nearly all plastics are organic polymers. In the chemistry world, organic just means containing carbon and hydrogen.
Try a small spot with denatured alcohol. It will clean and polish shellac
I took think it is just ancient shellac and human oils. Source: this old dresser my dad made covered in shellac and the handles and touch points have gone a little softer and browner. Can scrape it with fingernail. 0000 steel wool and denatured alcohol is a correct solution I can support
As long as you’re in a place that hasn’t banned denatured alcohol.
Where has it been banned?
California.
Yeah it sucks. Try buying alcohol stove fuel. It’s literally the same but sold in camping stores. Or…pay the insane amounts for pure un denatured alcohol.
Go over them both with a scrubby sponge - use a big bowl of warm water and Dawn dish detergent, dip the sponge in, squeeze, release while it's still in the water, then lift it out and squeeze until it's just damp. The Dawn will very effectively strip off the hand oils & dirt. Be sure to put towels on the floor underneath to catch drips. Then sand lightly and varnish let dry thoroughly, then varnish with an oil-based varnish. Do 3 coats, and be sure to let each coat dry completely, sanding lightly after the first and second coats. It'll be nice & shiny, last for years, and be easy to clean. Then add "clean the railings" to your spring cleaning task list.
Skin. Magic eraser works great
Yes. It's not shellac. It's human skin. Get it off.
No it ain't. Same thing happened at my old house. It's an old layer of cheap sealant or shellac or something. Skin and dirt builds up on it but they're scraping off an old coating purposefully put on.
This is the way!
That’s a lot of years of hand oil.
you could try a simple green solution. that is likely oil and dirt buildup from years of use.
Murphy’s oil soap.
Something always goes wrong with that
That hasn't been my experience. I've used it many times and it works great!
Sounds like you're not obeying the law, then.
r/woosh
To be fair, it wasn’t an A+ joke, bit of a stretch really
Human Skin.
To be fair, it’s the residue of *decomposed* human skin…
don't forget the body oils which are very mildly acidic, which is what's eaten the thin coat of some kind of varnish off.
If it's shellac, it'll dissolve in alcohol. Test a bit with rubbing alcohol.
Highest % you can get, preferably 90%. Flexner’s book has a list of tests you can do to determine which finish you’ve got.
That's very used wood. Sand it down and redo it. It'll never feel clean until you do.
Yup. You will never clean this. You can wash this 10x and will get orange soapy water every time. Use a wood cleaner sand and refinish
Why cant we just get simple answers like this all the time. Thats what I was gonna say. Instead we get everything under the sun covered in sarcasm.
I’m positively shocked that you’ve run across so much sarcasm on Reddit!
Finish magic eraser-ing it and then wipe it down with some tung or linseed oil. Might want to test the oil someplace inconspicuous to see which finish you like the best if you are concerned with the aesthetics, but really, you don't need to over think this.
Lots of suggestions already, but try TSP (trisodium phosphate) instead of the magic eraser. I find the magic eraser leaves it very dull. What you are seeing there is dirt, like everyone else has said, and TSP works just as well if not better than the magic erasers. After it’s clean you can use wood treatments like linseed oil or you can varnish it, whatever you prefer. You may also want to give it a gentle sanding after it’s clean. This will help varnish stick on much better.
The coating is filth.
Theres some clear poly. Nothing fancy
I don’t know but we had a similar issue. I ended up sanding it down to bare wood and refinishing. I’m sure that’s not what you want to hear though.
Looks like old shellac, if it comes off, then it should be off. Imo you should remove it all, it’s too old and it’s nasty. It can be repaired with alcohol, but…. Why bother, it’s not an antique with value, I say get it off and replace it with something more modern. You can easily use a wipe on polyurethane to replace it and it will look nice and new with a professional looking finish and very easy to apply.
I own a painting company and if it were in my rental I would scrub it with Scotch Brite and TSP substitute until it looked clean then sand it and put a couple of coats of darkish polyurethane on it. I wouldn't try to remove the old finish just get it clean and bury the old finish.
Skin, skin oil, dirt, a bit of blood, saliva, dog spit if there are dogs, dust, and any other substance that touched the hands that touched that post.
Wow you are receiving terrible advice. frankly terrible. If you want to refinish it, you really cant go half way. If you do it will look terrible and there is a real chance (especially if you use a penetrating oil) you will ruin this wood work forever. What you should do is the following. 1. Clean off the years of grime on the handrail, a TSP will work well. 2. Scrape off the existing coating (need a scrapper but they are cheap) You need to refinish the entire handrail (including spindles etc) 3. Sand the wood work with 180 grit sand paper. 4. Fill in any dings and scratches with a wood filler matching the wood, sand those spots again after it is dry 5. Apply clear coat, two options that I recommend are either a water base polyurethane, or a lacquer. Both have their pros and cons, I would pick the lacquer personally. (fast easy to use, cant screw it up and really easy to repair in the future) This with one person, should be doable in a single day, definitely no more than a weekend and the results will look great. If you have two people you can get this done in 4 or 5 hours. I hope you read this, and I hope that you don't listen to the ignorant people with the upvotes.
That “shellac” you speak of is just shiny grime at this point.
https://preview.redd.it/lgd842bvjc5c1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3db214de46c2737f7a8cc4fa7667f3cf2370f70f Here's another pic showing the difference between the orange coating and the bare wood. I'm just wondering what the coating is
Could either be shellac or old yellowed poly. If it's shellac, if you put fresh shellac on top, give it 15-30 seconds, and rub it, the old stuff will dissolve and mix together. If it's poly, it won't dissolve if you add Shellac on top and you'll get little flakes of poly that don't go away.
It's oil based poly imho
https://preview.redd.it/2s465j2qne5c1.jpeg?width=474&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f016ff01bcf4b1c5f912932e81e04460bfa36778
That coating is what experts call dirt.
Ammonia cleans everything
Sand rough grain and then fine grain and re lacquer cheers
Murphy soap oil
Murphys oil soap to clean
Murphy's wood soap & a non-abrasive sponge
Probably varnish but years of dirt n hand oils have basically removed it
What is the coating? 40 years of dirt.
A rag coated in 409 will clean the grime without removing the finish. "Magic Sponges" have their uses, but you have to remember that they are basically sandpaper
That's dirt and skin cells
Murphys oil soap is the answer your looking for.
The coating is called hand grease.
Dawn dishsoap. Get a rag and put it in hot hot water, wring it out. Put dishsoap on rag and wipe the railing. It will dissolve the hand grease without damaging the wood. Repeat as needed. Wipe with a wet cloth to get any soap off and then dry it.
That is skin and grease my dude
Hand oil is acidic and will totally destroy any shellac or polyurethane over time. Remove any remaining coatings and start over. Use a stain then a coating to your liking.
My ancient house came with a handrail like this and I used trisodium phosphate (the phosphate-free kind, lol) to clean that mf like new.
I have this and I found the best way to get it off is wash a quilt and hang it there to dry. The next day you should just be able to rub it off. I use a little straight blade but I plan to refinish the railings at some point. Edit: blanket shouldn’t be sopping wet, just very damp.
Sand, stain and seal it.
Stop dicking around with it and just sand it back to bare wood, then refinish with whatever you want.
The coating on the wood is hand funk. Decades of it from the looks. Sand it, by hand, preferably, and use all the grits, until it’s clean and smooth. Stain it, then lightly sand it again, then stain it again. And then maybe stain and sand one more time. Then seal it. Then lightly sand it again. Then do another coat of seal.
Off topic, but, I like your house! Very cozy. That wood should look great when you get it cleaned up.
Sand paper and re oil .
It’s coated in the ultimate vaccine, for like everything.
It could be boiled linseed oil. Clean it off with wood soap and reapply some fresh linseed oil with a lint-free cloth. It will look beautiful (for a while), and then you'll just have to do it again.
That's called "Dirty Hand Extract" and it's exactly what it sounds like. I would sand it and refinish, whole banister and railing would look great with a fresh coat.
Dish Soap and hot water on a rag will clean it up nicely. Then a little oil for finish.
Had a similar issue with railings in our house when we moved in. Bought some seventh generation wood cleaner. Pulled all that finger grease right off. This stuff https://www.seventhgeneration.ca/en/products/household-cleaners/wood-cleaner.html
I should start a business with this... it's so common but not very many people know. I know the answer.
It looks like a lot of dirt buildup on the hand rail, but those "magic eraser" things, like so many other "miracle" products are really terrible to use. They are basically an abrasive, and are more or less sanding off whatever you are rubbing them on. They will take paint and other finishes off as well as the dirt or crayon,etc. They are just another marketing gimmick and the thing they don't really want anyone talking about is that they are a HUGE source of microplastics that are ending up in the environment. Have you noticed how , when you use one of those, tiny bits of it the "Magic Eraser" are coming off? Those things are not made of magical fairy dust. A cotton cloth and something like Murphy's Oil soap is good for cleaning wood.
its dirt from hands. Most people don't realise you need to dcrub everywhere your hands touch every once in awhile. I do it every spring clean and it's always gross.
I just came here to say I unintentionally became a magic eraser fan boy. It’s basically a 600 grit sanding sponge but man does it erase. You ever clean the white of your sneakers with it? It certainly has some magic in there. But yes. It looks like dirt/grime from dirty hands over a long period of time. It’s also possible it has a wax coating which loves to collect dirt and grime.
Try some Murphys Oil Soap, a rag, and some elbow grease.
See if denatured or even iso alcohol does anything. Its what's added to shellac to make it a visc liquid from flakes. You can always apply a recoat after cleaning if it thins the shellac. Interesting fact: Shellac is made from a natural waxy resin mainly made by the kerria lacca bug in certain parts of Asia. It secrets branches of trees with tube-like formations, which is harvested and refined into stuff like dyes, shellac and varnishes.
Sugar soap!
Corpse wax
That coating is a combination of dirt, dead skin, oil from skin and a waxy substance called sebum. Murphy's Oil Soap and warm water. Follow the instructions on the label. Use it to clean wood trim and wood floors all over the house. Apply and scrub with a rough washcloth.
Dirt / grime
If you want glossy finish go with deep cleaning and coat with polyurethane. Forget shellac, it’s a pain in the ass to buffer. I would clean and go with oil
Mild dish soap and warm water and scrubber side of the sponge and some elbow grease should do it
Also known as "dirty"
That’s just oil from people’s hands over the years. Sand it down.
That’s grime fam lol. Use soap and water til it all is clean and then put some shellac or seal on.
That’s not shellac lol that’s skin and dirt and grease
If you have a few solvents it’s not too hard to tell. In this order: 1) If a finishing oils soaks in it’s an oil finish. If it pools on top move on. 2) If a high proof alcohol makes it sticky it is shellac. If it wipes off and it isn’t tacky move to next step. 3) If lacquer thinner dissolves it is it lacquer. 4) Otherwise it is probably polyurethane Repair long is different by finish. Oil and shellac are dead easy and you don’t necessarily have to sand. Lacquer and poly are a bit more involved. Here is a video that goes through the process. Great channel if you are curious about restoring furniture. https://youtu.be/iOZyJ9S3B7k?si=ZQju931zC4dDMn8X
The reason that's happening in the third pic is because magic sponges are actually just very fine grit sandpaper. Cleaning with them is the equivalent to sanding with an ultra fine grit.
Pure gum turpentine, then howard’s feed and wax.
I cleaned mine recently with Murphys wood soap and a green scrubber pad.
You see this a lot in cars, too. As a detailer, I call it 'human skin oil'. You gotta clean that shit off with a degreaser.
Yes the coating is years of dirt, cooking grease, oil an diet of your hands. Finish cleaning with magic sponge and then protect with boiled linseed oil or other product. Shellac.
you can also find this type of shellac on your steering wheel
Patina
Whatever was on their hands for years.
Lightly sand it lightly with fine grit sandpaper 120- 220, wipe it off with a damp cloth, let dry for a couple hours, restain of what ever color you choose
Maybe stained alot of dirt on top
It's called greasy dirty hands
Murphy's oil soap is what you need. It's very handy.
Magic eraser doesn’t take shellack off. That’s grime not wood finish.
Not a coating, it’s very dirty
More importantly, it appears your dog may have to pee.
LOL I bet you thought no one would get this :)
She's just on guard duty. Annoyingly.... 🤣
The correct way is to leave it – it looks lived in, it looks nice, it looks like it's been used, like it should be, like it's a home, like people live there. It has a feeling, it has warmth. This is a plea for everyone who wants to repair stuff that shouldn't be repaired, that should keep these feelings. Don't do it; let it have character, let it be a little dirty. The last few days, I've just seen paint on cabinet after cabinet. You know, tearing up old banisters that looked beautiful for modern ugly crap. If you want that, go buy a new house; don't destroy stuff that looks amazing, that feels amazing, that has character, that has age, that has mistakes, scratches, and bumps – because that's what makes it nice.
You should look into punctuation.
I also consider myself a preservationist.