post #1 of 25 (permalink) BEST WAY TO POLISH INTERIOR WOOD TRIM??? - Mercedes-Benz Discussion Forum post #2 of 25 (permalink) post #3 of 25 (permalink) post #4 of 25 (permalink) post #5 of 25 (permalink) Originally Posted by Benz50602 I have no argument that Pledge may make your wood look good for the short term. But I have to interject on behalf of the ingredients. Pledge does NOT contain ANY carnauba wax at all. What it does contain is white mineral oil, silicone oil and naphtha. While these ingredients will in all likelyhood not harm your wood trim, they are nothing more than a quick superficial treatment. post #6 of 25 (permalink) Originally Posted by ByByeAmericanPie Agreed, the furniture polish spray (with its solvents) is a silly and age-old wives' tale. I guess what many still struggle with is the fact you're not touching "wood". You're working on many layers of poly clearcoat. Why would I want to put greasy wood polish on it, a crappy one at that?

BBAP made the correct recommendation: Treat it as you would the clear-coated surface on the car. Use an ultra-high grade carnauba to bring out the detail and gloss. Zymol (either their DETAIL or their basic carnauba wax) is perfect for such applications. Stay away from any sort of "cleaner/waxes". Enjoy, and leave the cheap solvent sprays in the kitchen post #7 of 25 (permalink) post #8 of 25 (permalink) post #9 of 25 (permalink) Wow I never thought about polishing the wood trim in my car. I've always just cleaned it with a warm sponge. I think i'm going to try this the first time I really detail my car in the spring! Thanks for the tip post #10 of 25 (permalink) Plexus is my product for wood trim and it will clean/shine up many other items in or on your vehicle. - Mercedes-Benz Discussion ForumIf there's paint slopped onto the edges of your trim or spattered on the surface, now's the time to clean it off. with denatured alcohol will remove

most paint spatters (Photo 1). won't harm most finishes, but it will dissolveDon't worry if some of theYou can touch it up laterbest price on shark vacuum cleanersProtect the walls with maskingbest mid priced vacuum cleaner tape to prevent the alcohol from damagingcar leather seat cleaner indiaFor tougher paint spatters,best vacuum cleaner for thread use a fine synthetic abrasive pad (such asbest value cylinder vacuum cleaners

a 3M Wood Finishing Pad) dipped inThe first step in renewing your woodwork is cleaning it to remove grease and grimebest leather cleaner boston and create a contaminant-free surface forWash the woodwork withUse just enough cleaner to wet the surface. Scrub with a sponge dipped in the cleaning solution. rinse with a sponge and clear water and wipe off the wood with a dry rag.You can dramatically improve the appearance of stained and varnished woodwork without all the work and mess of a complete stripping andWe'll show you a much easier process here—and you may even be able to eliminate some steps if your woodwork is in better shape than ours. Just gather the supplies in a 5-gallon bucket and tackle the renewal project one window or door at a time whenever you have a few spare hours. Start in a corner or in an inconspicuous area—better to learn from

your mistakes there than on the front door.Caution: Wear protective gear, including goggles, rubber gloves and a long-sleeve shirt, when you work with oxalic acid. Mix the oxalic acid in a plastic container. Add 1 oz. of oxalic acid powder (about 2 tablespoons) to 1 cup of hot water and stir it until the powder dissolves. the solution onto the stain with a disposable sponge brush and let it work for 20You can repeat the process to further lighten the stain. bleached wood with a sponge and clearThen neutralize the oxalic acid by applying a solution of 3 tablespoons of borax to 1 gallon of water with a sponge. Finally, rinse the bleached wood with water again and let it dry overnight. sand it with 120-grit followed by 180-grit sandpaper (Photo 4) and stain it to match the rest of the woodwork.Window stools and other areas exposed to moisture and sunlight may need to beIn spots such as these where the wood is discolored and

the finish worn away, you'll get the best results by scraping and sanding to expose bare wood (Photos 2 and 4).Fill holes left by nails or screws withWood putty is available in many colors that you can blend for a perfect push it into the hole and wipe it off (Photo 6). There's no sanding required. shades of putty, ranging from dark to light, that are similar to the color of yourThen mix them to match the woodPush the putty into the hole and wipe off the excess with yourThen remove residue from around the hole by wiping over it with aIf your woodwork has filled nail holes that have darkened and no longer match, pick the old filler out and replace itBuy water-based putty if you plan to use water-based polyurethane.To make new finishes stick well, slightly roughen the old finish first (Photo 5). Synthetic finishing pads are the best choice because they conform to profiles and aren't as aggressive as sandpaper.

and fine and experiment in an inconspicuousUse the pad that roughens the finish without removing any stain.One of the trickiest parts of a wood restoration project is finding stain toYou can pry off a small piece of trim and ask the paint department to mixSome paint stores and home centers offer inexpensive sampleYou can choose several samples that are close to the color of your wood and experiment in a hidden area to find the best color match. Then buy a larger container. Another approach is to buy two or three cans of stain that are close to the color of your woodwork and mix them to get the right color. Use an eyedropper and disposable plastic cups to mix small batches until you get the proportionsKeep notes so you can reproduce the results in a larger batch.Disguise large areas where the stain is worn away by dabbing stain over the light areas to blend them in. may not match exactly, but at least the

spot will be less obvious. the surface of the wood with a rag dipped in stain to fill in small scratches and imperfections—you'll see a big improvementWipe the stain on. wipe off the excess with a clean rag. Allow the stain to dry overnight before pletely refinishing the area may be the only way to make flawless repairs to badly damaged doors, windows andBut you can greatly improve the overall appearance of worn or damaged wood with less drastic measures. The final step in your trim renewal project is to apply a fresh coat of finish. polyurethane is a good choice because it's fast and easy to apply. wipe it on with a soft rag and let it dry. Each coat is very thin and dries quickly. You can recoat in two or three hours if you want a thicker finish for extra protection. Several coats of wipe-on polyurethane are required to equal the thickness of one coat of brushed-on varnish, but it's

easier to get a smooth, drip-free finish Fold a cotton rag to create a pad. dip an edge of the pad into a container of wipe-on polyurethane and press it against the side to wring out the excess. polyurethane onto the wood in long strokes in the direction of the wood grain as you would if you were using a brush. For window stools or other trim exposed to sunlight, consider using spar varnish. Spar varnish has built-in ultraviolet protection and is more flexible, so it holds up better in areas exposed to sunlight and water. Experiment on a scrap of trim or in an inconspicuous area to see if the slightly amber tint darkens the color too much. When you've completed all of the steps above, your woodwork will look like new and be protected by a fresh layer of finish. If you don't have time to do an entire room from beginning to end, just tackle one door or window whenever you have a few spare hours.

You'll be done with a room before you know it. Round Up Your Supplies You'll need the materials and supplies listed in “Additional information” below for a basic wood renewal project, including several for refinishing window stools andMost of the tools and supplies are available at paint stores and home centers. an art supply store for the artists'Oxalic acid is available stores and some hardware Dings and dents too large to fill with soft putty present a unique challenge. If you can't replace the wood, the next best thing is to patch the damage with filler and color the patch to match. Use hardening-type filler like Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty. Apply the filler carefully with as little excess as possible to minimize sanding. Let the filler dry and sand it smooth, being careful to avoid sanding away the finish on the surrounding wood. felt tip markers to “paint” the patch to match (photos below). stores are the best source of markers—you'll find endless shades of brown.