In article ,
thermo102 wrote:
While visiting my sister-in-law in Suffolk, Va. a couple years ago, she
asked if I knew of a good way to clean or brighten up the paneling in her
kitchen and dining room. It just looked too darned good to give her an
off-the-wall answer. (read as I didn't have a clue)

The house was built approximately 1965 and I'm sure she has used lots of TLC
because the paneling looks great, but I'm sure it has darkened considerably
over the years. Because of waxing, cooking, or cigarette smoke I've no
idea. I suspect all of the above, and maybe more.

We are planning another trip 'back east' this year and I thought it would
be nice when we drop in to see her to have an answer to her question.

The only thing I can think of offhand is TSP. Any hints or suggestions
would be greatly appreciated!

the REAL TSP (Tri-Sodium-Phosphate) will do the trick. It will likely
have an adverse affect on whatever finish is on the wood, however.

First thing I'd try is one of the 'citrus' cleaners, like "Simple Green".
These are amazingly effective against lots grime and accumulated gunge..

My preferred 'next stage' weapons are difficult to locate these days.
Second is powdered "ethoxylated alcohol". There used to be a product
available regionally (upper Mid-West) called "Perfex", that listed this
compound as the only ingredient. White 'powder' -- actually 'slivers',
about 1/4" long. Dissolve in water and 'go'. Good for cleaning *anything*,
with only slight differences in the strength of the solution. Worked a *lot*
better the hotter the water. Safe for bare-hands use at any rational
concentration (as long as you could tolerate the temperature) -- the solution
feels 'slick' (alkaline) -- chemistry research says it's a high-grade
"surfactant"; aka wetting agent. (One caveat: Do -not- use at high strengths
on enamel paints, it will cause the paint to chalk continually!! There's a
story *still* told in our family about how somebody did that to a painted picnic
table, circa _60_ years ago. Got all the bird sh*t off (it had lived under a
big tree), but 'left it's mark' on everybody that sat on the benches, _days_
later

History: Invented in Shenandoah Iowa, during WWII as an alternate to phosphate-
based cleaners, as phosphate was a strategic war material for building explosives.
Acquired by Tidy House Corp., who was subsequently acquired by the maker of Air
Wick Air fresheners, who pulled the product off the market.

Rumor mill has it that 'somebody' in Shenandoah, IA is making the product again,
but I've had no luck finding a name or reference -- I''m no longer in the
territory.

[Note: if I had a source to recommend, an ethoxylated alcohol powder would by
my _first_ recommendation! But, I don't, so I suggested something 'obtainable'
first. wry grin ]


Thirdly, there's a petroleum-jelly based product -- sold in a "big" tooth-paste-
like tube, called "Off!" (yes, it even looks similar to the insect spray logo).
This is a degreaser, sold for getting oil-based stains out of laundry, but
works wonders on other oil-based problems. As good, if not better, than 'Goo
Gone' for cleaning oil-dirtied hands, for example.


About the only thing I've run into that one of those three items wouldn't
take off was dried on oil-based wiping stain on my hands. For -that-, a
_Brillo_ pad was _the_ weapon of choice. didn't take much scrubbing, seems
like it was mostly the soap in the pad. Note: Other brands did _not_ work
nearly the same. I found _that_ out the hard way. *ONCE*!!