How To Clean Old White Furniture

Remember the shabby white table and shabby chic twin bed I bought at the junk shop a couple of weeks ago? I’m sharing what I did with them. Some of you will be disappointed and some will be happy with the projects.

I decided to just clean up the small table with the white top and refresh the finish on the legs. It turned out better than I expected. When I first spotted the table I fell in love with the legs although the finish was very drab looking. Almost like the finish was worn off.

If you missed the table when I shared it earlier the photo above shows how sad it looked. I’m not sure what was on the top of the table but it took a lot of washing and sanding to get it off.

I used my nail gun on the blocks holding the legs to the table top. A few of them were a bit wobbly but better now.

Another look at the top of the table. For the most part the top is solid with only a small space between two of the boards. I can’t do anything about that without taking the table completely apart.

I don’t have a lot of pictures of the process for refreshing the white paint. What I did was sand the top then I used Simple Green to clean it. The top was still pretty ugly so I mixed a solution of 50/50 bleach and water and cleaned the table with that. Then I sanded it some more. I went through the cleaning sanding process several times.

The photo above show the space between a couple of the boards.

You guys have seen how Howard’s Feed-N-Wax works wonders on wood finishes. Just rub the wax/polish/conditioner on the stained finish using a lint free rag and the change is unbelievable.

The photo above show where I had used the Howard’s Feed-N-Wax on the legs on the left side of the table.

The table looks so pretty now. I know it’s not perfection for sure but I like it as is. The white painted apron around the bottom of the table top was really dirty and I cleaned and cleaned on it using the bleach water.

The two cabinet doors from the junk shop were a mess too. I hope to make some kind of sign or signs out of them but don’t have a plan yet.

But first I had to clean them up. I used bleach water to clean these too. The toothbrush came in handy for cleaning the grooves and the hardware. I always keep old or cheap toothbrushes with my DIY supplies. They come in handy for all kinds of things.

The cabinet doors look 100% better. Do you guys have any suggestions for signs or a cute display using the doors?

Now for the twin bed and rails. I decided just to clean them up too.

The PVC pipe stand or rack was made by the JTS (Junktion Technical Specialist, AKA hubby). It comes in handy for projects like these. I also put boards on top of the stand to hold small projects to paint or spray paint.

The headboard on the right has been cleaned and you can tell how much the bleach and water mixture brightened the white paint. I took the bed to the shop to sell but I may bring it back home and distress the paint with my sander. The distressed look it has now is from wear and tear.

What do you guys think about the projects? Should I have painted the table and the bed? Leave a note if you have time and thanks for being here, Kathy

Kathy Owen

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Author: Kathy Owen
Kathy Owen is the founder of the home decor blog Petticoat Junktion where she shares tutorials on painting furniture and upcycling thrifty finds into unique home décor. Her DIY projects have been featured on the Home Depot Blog, Plaid Crafts, Behr Designer Series, and in numerous magazines. Kathy’s newest website is HappyHomeDIY.com