Green mold on finished antique furniture
PatchogPhil
| Posted in General Discussion on
How can I remove the light green dusty mildew/mold from antique finished furniture? I have washed it down with Murphy soap but still it returns. I know bleach kills mold but I do not want to ruin the finish.
The furniture is antique, cherry wood dining room. Approx 60 yrs old.
One source said to wash with Murphy soap, then wipe down with linseed oil EVERY day for three weeks.
Will borax in water ruin the finish?
Replies
I think a weak vinegar solution would work but get some feedback from someone who really knows before you try it. I have had good luck on some grey green mold with a bleach solution. Didn't hurt the finish or patina on a mission library desk that was in a damp basement for too long.
Andy
"It seemed like a good idea at the time"
Try the clorox cleaner in a hidden area. Just dampen a rag with the cleaner. It has a small amount of bleach in it but is relatively mild. Sun will do a number on the mildew and dry air will help. Most finishes will stand up to a light wiping. But in your test, you'll know for sure if finish is coming off...Mark
Visit my woodworking blog Dust Maker
I use a conservators soap called Vulpex and mix it with mineral spirits. The soap is expensive , about $60 - $80/quart. However it does work for removing mold on wood, leather and paper.
I generally do not use water on antiques since it has a tendency to raise the grain or loosen an already fragile finish.
J.P.
Mold and mildew need very high moisture to grow, where is the furniture being stored? If the environment is damp enough to allow mold to grow, you need to change the storage conditions, otherwise the mold will keep returning.
John W.
This is Long Island, NY. It has been EXTREMELY humid here lately. I do not have air conditioning in every room. However, other furniture is not getting this green mold. Just this dining set.
I for one is puzzled....BUT then again I'm old and easy to do to me!This just started in your home? Or something you just obtained?
In the room with Air conditioning?Try this.. If not in the Air conditioning.. Is your table moveable? If so move to where it is air conditioned. Vinagar will soften the glue if it is really a old set..If it were me I would sprinkle the Borax on the top and let it sit awhile.. But then again it is not my stuff so I got nothing to loose!
The dining furniture set is in a room WITHOUT air conditioning. It HAS happenned before, during a very humid period of time. It appears mostly on the underside, the non-finished wood. We've had the set for 7 years;it was my grandmother's.
The mold looks like a thin coating like what gets on old bread.
The only other place it has happened before was on some new doors that were factory-primed only. Weird, huh? After the doors were washed down with bleach/water the green mold appeared again later that summer. So I washed again and then painted the doors. No more mold.
A mild bleach solution is the standard treatment to eliminate mold, but the mold spores are everywhere so the wood will be reinfested after awhile. The solution is to lower the relative humidity and to seal the surface of the wood. Only certain surfaces are affected by mold, there is something in certain woods and finishes that seem to be to the molds liking but I don't know what that is.
John W.
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