Recommendations for cleaning Shellac finished table

[ultane]

I recently built a small table out of mahogany and maple for my daughter and son in law. I finished it with spray Shellac (rattle can) from Home Depot. It has a glossy finish that collects finger prints like crazy. What is the best (easiest) way to clean this?

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I guess the first question is "what are you trying to clean off of it?
Second, I would suggest waxing it. This will make cleaning much easier in the first place and help with fingerprints as a bonus.

 

[ultane]

Any idea what kind of wax I should use?

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[waho6o9]

Wax it with Johnson paste wax, Renaissance wax, or if you want to leave a nice aroma use Lavender wax from England.
I've used all of them at different times good stuff
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[Crazyraceguy]

The Renaissance wax will definitely help with the fingerprint thing, that is kind of it's intended purpose.
It's a little pricey, but it works very well and you don't need much.

 

[ultane]

Thanks! I’ll look for it. Where do you get yours?

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[Packard]

After seeing that Waterlox recommended Swiffer wet floor wipes for safely cleaning their Tung oil finishes, I now use those refills to clean all sorts of wood projects. 

I used them to clean my oak kitchen cabinets recently.  They did a good job, smelled OK.  They are probably OK for your skin, but I wore gloves. 

Since a lot of people keep a swiffer on hand for quick cleanups, this can be very convenient.  However I would definitely test first.  I have not tried this on shellac.

Note:  I did not use the mop, I used the clothes in my hands for this.

 

[Stone Message]

Hi [member=25208]ultane[/member]

I agree with the above but you could go a little further...

If any of the marks go beyond a smear on the surface then a quick wipe with a cloth which has a little methylated spirits (denatured alcohol) on it should take a very thin layer of shellac off. You could build up an oil finish or use a hard wax next. Leave a little time after applying the wax and buff vigorously.

Peter

 

[ultane]

@Peter Parfitt

I used denatured alcohol once, but I don’t want to continue to remove the shellac. Hence the question posed.

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[Crazyraceguy]

Thanks! I’ll look for it. Where do you get yours?

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I get it from a local woodworking store, but Amazon has it too, for about $17.50

 

[Charles959]

Thanks! I’ll look for it. Where do you get yours?

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The US distributor for the products of Picreator Enterprises Ltd. of London, England, makers of Renaissance Wax:

Restoration Product

Renaissance Wax Polish Materal Safety Data Sheet

 

[sancho57]

Id clean it with ever I usually clean furniture with then go over it with a nice coat of wax