A few weeks ago, I found a wonderful tip from Rebekah of Potholes and Pantyhose about using oil and vinegar to revive and clean old wood. This is one of those tips that sound really cool, but I was pretty skeptical. It may be the kind of thing that makes a piece look good long enough to snap a picture and then, when it dries, it looks like crap again. Well, this solution is the real deal…and I used it on just about every piece of wood within walking distance to test it out.
Check out the before and after on these croquet mallets. I purchased them at an auction and used ONLY oil and vinegar on them to clean them up and bring out the patina of the wood. Obviously, the one on the left is the before, right is the after.
I purchased this gorgeous dresser at a yard sale for $60. It seriously felt like consensual theft. This piece is almost 100 years old, solid wood, custom made with the original tag and mirror, and was in almost mint condition. The wood was dried out in some places and looked like there may have been some minor water damage. The people who sold it to me thought it needed to be refinished.
Do you see the lighter spots? I figured I’d try to oil and vinegar mixture before I sanded and refinished this piece. Look at the picture below…you will be amazed.
This is the same spot on the same dresser, treated with nothing, but oil and vinegar. It’s been over a month since I used this solution on the dresser and it still looks rich and beautiful.
Now, I recently tried it on a pair of end tables I purchased at a yard sale for $5.00/piece and it looks a lot better, but in the end, these pieces needed to be refinished. The before is on the left, after on the right. You can still see the scratches and water damage.
I also found that this also does not work well on furniture that has a glossy finish. It works best on old wood that is dried out, dirty, and has minimal water damage.
So, for a super cheap, super effective way to bring out the best in wood, mix three parts oil to one part vinegar. (Example: if you use 3/4 cup of oil, add 1/4 cup vinegar.) Go try it on that old wooden dresser that’s sitting in your garage waiting for a paint job. You may be surprised!
PS - Man, I did a lowsy job explaining the details! First of all, I’ve used white or apple cider vinegar and vegetable or olive oil…whatever I had on hand. Second, you simply mix it in a jar, dip a clean cloth into the mixture, then rub it into the wood. You don’t need to wipe it off; the wood just soaks it in. That’s it! Sorry for not being very specific.
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Thanks for this great tip. You need to try rubbing alcohol on your water stains ! I found that on Pinterest and it worked completely.The water spots were ther forever, I had tried mayo and it did nothing !
I am so sorry I did not take pictures. I have an antique cabinet that I love. It has been in continuous use for over a hundred years and looks it. I have a grand-daughter in a wheelchair and it had done some considerable damage scratchwise to the front of it, not to mention all the wear and tear of 100 years. Unfortunately, it has become an eyesore with the deep scrapes visible from a room away. I followed your 3 to 1 oil to vinegar ratio and wiped it down once; that was 3 hours ago. I am now sitting 3 feet from it and not one scratch or scrape is discernible from here, and it looks so clean (I guess that’s the vinegar part). Thank you so much……can’t wait to get started on the deacon’s bench tomorrow!
Holy smokes, I cannot believe haw well this solution worked! I had a very worn out buffet cupboard that we’d taken the doors off to use as a 1st, toy cupboard, then a shoe “cubby” and for the last 10 years, a place for our everyday dishes, glasses and cups. (I put them down low so that the kids could get them and put them away.)
The inside was worn down so terribly. I gave this solution a try and, honestly, the wood looks BETTER than it did when we first got it 23 years ago!
THANKS!
This is so very interesting! I just sent the post to a friend so I will let you know if she tries it. My only question is, it isn’t sticky from the oil? Does the vinegar cut that? You always have the best posts!!
Hi! I can’t wait to try this! Can I use peanut oil? I have a whole gallon of it!
Blessings, Aimee
I have an old oak piece that I bought from someone and it smells like the house it sat in has a wood burner. I tried leaving it outside for months, still no luck. what would you suggest? Also the same question for wood pieces that smell like cigarette smoke.
thanks for any help.
Hi, i have read in a few places now that apple cider vinegar will clear a whole room of that smoke smell.. so i would try the apple cider vinegar and oil. Can’t hurt right?
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thank You so much for this post I just try it but my table still with some dry parts after the oil and vinegar any help ?
thank You
The thing that would concern me about this is that oil goes rancid after a few months. Have you ever opened an old container of veg oil? It stinks. This is why you can’t use veg or olive oils to maintain wood surfaces in the kitchen like cutting boards and butcher blocks. Mineral oil is recommended instead because it does not spoil. I think it would be a better choice for restoring furniture too. Hope you don’t have smelly wood in a few months.
Try Tung oil from the refinishing counter at the home store. Thirty years ago, Homer Forby built a small empire on it. It dries quite. Hard and shouldn’t go rancid.
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