The auction company is the one to contact - I would love to see this practice stopped. Register a complaint with them, if enough people do this, they will change. I'll bet a wipe with a dry rag may do it..maybe.. Or a hot detergent application followed with a rinse and a dry up in all using three rags..

I have an entire houseful of woodwork to darken due to new wood floors. I have no cash left to pay a pro to redo everything or to replace all of the doors and trim in my home. Therefore, I am on my own. Everyone has said something true, and I have experienced it all. I am starting to get acceptable results now. Not acceptable to a "pro", but acceptable to folks I know who are aware, picky and share honest feedback. I've tried this and "Howards Restore-a-Finish". The Restore a finish is nice, but is not affecting the color much, and getting a redder hue is what I am after. I have a door and a cabinet I will lkely re0do. But the rest is turning out quite well. I will share what I have learned so far: - Experiment before starting the big job. I tried rubbing the minwax and brushing. Brushing is the best for me. - Clean your surface well (duh). I use a sponge with a ScotchBrite backing to gain surface grip for the minwax (I simply do not have the time to remove all doors and work them horizontally) - This stuff is too thick and sets too fast. To overcome this I work one thing at a time to "completion". Example: one cabinet door, one coat at a time. - I use small amounts in a separate container (don't paint directly out of the minwax can as I started doing. WRONG!!!). - Your brush will quickly become your worst enemy. Frequently clean your brush with paint thinner. - Find a brush you are comfortable with. I have settled into 1.5" width max. - I use thinner liberally and frequently on my brush. Keeping the brush cleared with thinner keeps the minwax flowing thinner, better, and more consistently; plus, it keeps the minwax wetter longer. I am able to easily work the surface (a vertical door jamb for example) top to bottom. - Don't stop to chat on the phone and then come back into your section you were working on. Guaranteed problems. You must your finish your section. - Last, but not least, take your time. The last thing I may try is actually thinning the minwax with thinner, but I don't know if I will go there now that my results are so much improved. Good luck!!

Lemon oil is a popular product which many people seem to like. But there are just as many people who say not to use it. I personally have no information or experience with it, but if I wanted to maintain "bare" wood with only an oil finish, I'd use either tung or linseed oil. Tung and linseed oils are well-accepted and non-controversial for wood finishing. However... that said, if you've been using lemon oil and are happy, then thre's no reason to stop on my account. For anyone interested in learning more about wood finishing, I would highly recommend a book by Bob Flexner called "Understanding Wood Finishing". Here's a quote from an article I found online that mentions lemon oil: WAX THE PERFECT PROTECTION for FURNITURE ?Original article from: Wood Magazine JUNE 1989 From a refinishing pro, a preservation expert, and Furniture manufacturers, the answer seems to be "yes." "Wax is the wear and tear, abrasion layer of fine wood furniture," says Ron Ashby, a professional woodworker, refinisher, lecturer, and owner of Wood Finish Supply in Mendocino, California. "superficial scratches, dings, and dents should happen to the wax layer-not the finish you slaved over." DON'T DABBLE IN DUST Despite the multitude of furniture care products that promise to "feed" or "polish" your fine furniture, Ashby believes high-quality furniture wax is the best choice. "All the other care products available attract dust with the residue they leave behind," he says. At Virginia's Colonial Williamsburg, Wallace Gusler, director of conservation, oversees the preservation of authentic colonial furniture. "Our primary concern with pieces that have an intact, original finish is conservation," he says. "For that, we use wax. And, Gusler believes, all wood furniture, not just historic pieces, deserves wax protection. "Everyone collects furniture to some extent, he notes, "But their collection happens to be their household furniture." What about lemon oil, another popular wood-care product? Gusler says, "The value of oil to wood is folklore. Of course, oil gives a wood finish a superficial shine, but it isn't beneficial. In fact," he elaborates, "Commercial lemon oil has nothing to do with lemons. It's essentially kerosene, and can be harmful to a finish."

I keep seeing people saying to use wax to seal the chalk paint after it's been applied to upholstery, but I'm not seeing what kind of wax except paste wax;. Is it upholstery-specific wax? Wood wax? Etc? I'm trying to find something that will help seal the chalk paint and keep it supple on a faux leather ottoman. I'm also hoping to apply to some fabrics (like cotton of something natural) for a potentially leather-like finish. I see brand names like Annie Sloan and Dixie Belle mentioned a lot for the waxes, but these are way too expensive. Is there a similar clear wax that's 30 or less and will cover several pieces of furniture? I've found a DIY calcium carbonate/talc chalk paint recipe that I'm going to try on the faux leather and other fabrics. But I'm stumped when it comes to the wax. Thank you!