Ditto. Although you likely have some cuts that can't or shouldn't be made again. If there's areas of bark that are peeled away you might take a razor blade or some such implement and shave it off. But don't make the mistake of trying to do too much. Better to let them heal by themselves. On a side note, even if your shears or loppers are sharp, a large branch still takes alot of pressure to cut. If you're using loppers, you won't notice that pressure but it is a big strain on the branch you're cutting. It will often flatten out as you cut it and the "holding" edge of the shears can dig in and destroy a bit of bark. When the branch is momentarily flattened like that, the living bark layer usually separates from the wood and leaves a couple of pockets of dead/separated bark. For that reason, I prefer to use a fine-toothed saw for anything 1/2 inch or more. This leaves the bark in perfect condition and heals nicely. Impractical for some jobs but when I really want it done right, I reach for my saw.

The safe way is to lay them out somewhere until all the oil evaporates, then dispose of any way you wish. There is a danger with oily rags spontaneously combusting.....so do not store them in a closed container. If you have a safe spot and it is allowed, you could also burn them. Linda C

I stained 4 oak vanities in my previous home. I used cheap wal-mart brand brown spray paint - lightly sprayed not thick at all and let it dry at least 24 hours. I used a foam brush on the cabinets. I don't wipe it off. I didn't paint when using gel stain on unfinished wood on the staircase handrail and balusters in my garage it was raw wood and I used the sock method. I also finished a pine coffee table and used the sock to apply - no paint. It really is trial and error. Nice thing to know is that if you make a mistake with the gel stain - mineral spirits cleans it right up easily if you haven't let it dry for too long. I did attempt to gel stain my kitchen cabinets in the previous house. I tried to take a shortcut and not paint the oak first and it looked horrible and was simply more than I wanted to take on so I removed the stain on the doors i had worked on with mineral spirits and left good enough alone. I was only trying to update to sell the house. If I had planned on staying I probably would have painted the cabinets white.

Thanks to enduring's previous posts on this topic, I found The Rag Company. At that time I did not know which towel she had so I chose the PLATINUM PLUFFLE. They were out of stock, but Amazon (fulfilled by the Rag Co.) had a 2 pack of the 20 x 40 cloths. I can't begin to tell you how much I love this towel!!!!!! It is an amazing product and works so much better than any of the many types of microfiber cloths I have. I fold it in 1/2 (10 x 40), in 1/2 again (10x20) and one final fold gives me a very thick and managable 10 x 10 cloth. I have arthritis in my hands and this is comfortable and easy to use. It does my entire shower and the glass enclosure without wringing it out. I hang it to dry on my grab bar and it is dry by morning. Unfortunately, it is out of stock at the Rag Co. and I can't find it at Amazon now. The one that caligirl5 linked to looks similar to the Pluffle. The Pluffle is waffle weave and made in South Korea where they supposedly make the very best microfiber. You might want to keep checking with The Rag Company or Amazon in hopes they get more in stock. A great microfiber cloth can really make your life easier and put a smile on your face!