Furniture ruined? How to revive after intensive cleaning

jgallcash

We recently bought an antique book case that is a beautiful dark wood. Unfortunately we weren't to know that it was invested with moths and xtheir eggs.

We had no other choice by to do some intense cleaning which included scrubbing with well dilute bleach and adding a powder killer to the case. OTT perhaps but the idea of loads of crawlies living in our place and nesting as they did in our carpets totally creeped me out.

The aftermath is that our lovely case has A white misty powdery residue on it which isn't shifting with warm water and a wipe.

My next suggestion was going to be trying to rehydrating the wood with some form of wax. Or perhaps wiping the wood with some form of spirit in case the residue is actually powder that has sunken into the wood.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Hintza

Wipe it down with white spirit and then polish.

Moths? Woodworm perhaps.

jgallcash

No honestly moths. I know I've already thrown caution to the wind by using bleach and powr on the wood but will white spirit do any damage?

paddy's_mum

I'm going to say this as politely as I know how. I do not know of any moth that infests both wood and carpets. I do not know of any species of wood boring insect that is killed by a wash of bleach water and loads of scrubbing. I suspect that you have gone overboard based on your primeval fear of insect 'infestation'

The suggestion of white vinegar, by Hintza, is a good one. I used it recently on a pair of sea water stained (I lost in a race with my grand-daughter to beat the incoming wave!) black leather shoes and it brought them back, very easily, to a perfectly serviceable level. I also use a dilute white vinegar in a spray bottle as a general purpose cleaner.

Hope that helps.

jgallcash

Paddys mum for clarity white vinegar or spirit? Hintza actually suggests white spirit.