On Sunday, June 19, 2016 at 11:07:40 AM UTC-7, dadiOH wrote:
DerbyDad03 wrote:
Happy Father's Day!

We picked up a couple of pieces of bedroom furniture...
The "dirt" seems to be more brown that the grey I would expect...

I would guess that what you got on the rag was wax.

Since you are interested in "down & dirty, I wouldn't use a polish. I would
wipe it down thoroughly with naptha or mineral spirits to remove any
remaining wax

Yes, definitely that's a good start; you can find out what the finish really
DOES look like after you wipe away the wax-encrusted grime of decades.
If you like the aged patina, don't refinish, just enjoy it as is.

It's possible that the finish is shellac over oil or stain, in which
case a little bit of french polishing (using linseed oil and shellac) will
do wonders for any blemishes, George Grotz's books (The Furniture Doctor,
Gunk to Glow) are a good guide to fixing up furniture in this age range.