Pour some mineral spirits on a cloth and rub it on an inconspicuous spot on the dresser. If the mineral spirits do not take the paint off, then you are pretty safe to clean the rest of the piece with it. It should remove the hand prints, smudges, and sticky spots.

But would mineral spirits take off the wood's finish? Not sure I've used those before, but it's worth a try if the finish doesn't get damaged. jannie, the layer of light gray gunk is very noticeable in the dark curls of the oak pieces. It looks as tho I haven't dusted in 50yrs., tried scratching it with my fingernail and the stuff won't budge. I'm wondering if I'm seeing it now because the room has been remodeled and there is more light in there now! ha. Just had a thought, in the past I've used Murphy's on a damp cloth once in a while to wipe the headboard down, suppose it ruined the finish? If that was the case, the rest of the headboard would be gray too tho. Thanks for the suggestions.

I guess what I'm looking for is some recommended paint colors and glazes to consider. "Soft blue" is very vague. I don't want it to end up looking too stark. I'll check out Juddgirl2's Baby Turtle I've googled, but without specific key words it's hard to find good info. Most of what I found was paint and sand off. I knew that going in. I've painted a lot, just not furniture, so I know how to prep, just not what colors. I found antique paint and antiques with original paint. I did finally google, "shabby chic painted furniture how to" and found My Romantic Home blog. I hadn't really considered using the "shabby chic" term to google before, but there it is. I think this is what I'm looking for. I really like the bluish gray cabinet she did. cooperbailey, no, not a MD neighbor. I live in plain ol' Texas, aka Plano, TX. DH works from home for a company out of Bethesda. His company has their annual holiday party in January, so I tag along. I get to roam around while he's working at the office. I LOVE that there's so much to see within walking distance from Wisconsin Ave, unlike where I live in the 'burbs where I have to drive all over. Here is a link that might be useful: My Romantic Home

I use this technique for many of the painted pieces of furniture, candlesticks, etc. I put in my space in a local antique mall, but it can be used on stained furniture as well. Using an acrylic paint by Folk Art called 'Mushroom', I water down slightly, brush on, and wipe off~~let set a few seconds before wiping to settle into the crevices. When completely dry in these areas, use a damp cloth to remove any paint film remaining on the furniture.