The Complete Handbook of Furniture Cleaners & Polish
A Professional's Field Guide to Selecting, Using, and Troubleshooting Furniture Cleaners & Polish
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
A comprehensive, practical career or hobby reference for anyone who needs to clean, polish, and care for fine furniture—without the hype.
About this book
Whether you're restoring a client's heirloom, prepping a newly finished piece for sale, or just tired of watching polish build up on your own furniture, this handbook gives you the unvarnished technical truth. It moves past marketing jargon to explain the actual chemistry of waxes, oils, solvents, and water-based systems, and shows you how to read a label like a pro.
The book covers selection, safe application, and routine maintenance for all major finish types, including shellac, lacquer, varnish, polyurethane, and oil finishes. You'll find detailed troubleshooting chapters for common disasters like silicone contamination, wax bloom, and clouded finishes. The final sections cover market knowledge for starting a professional cleaning service, the future of the industry, and answers to the most asked questions.
Written for professionals and serious enthusiasts, it's designed to be a practical shop-floor reference. Concrete examples, industry standards, and honest advice replace vague promises, helping you achieve better, longer-lasting results and avoid doing unintended damage.
Reader Reviews
Jason Jones
★★★★★I bought this along with a new batch of shellac, and the chapters on finish chemistry and troubleshooting have been a good read. It's not the kind of book you finish in one sitting, but it's great for looking things up. Strikes me as a little academic in spots, but the information is sound and has already helped me fix a sticky mess.
Sarah Martin
★★★★★This is a genuinely useful reference; I've learned a lot about why some products work and others don't. My only real problem is it made me realize some of my old habits are wrong, which is a bit annoying to have to correct. It does read a bit dry, but for this subject matter, that's a plus.
Edward Lopez
★★★★★As an antique dealer, I'm wary of damaging old surfaces. This book wisely counsels caution and gives you the technical reasoning to back it up. I was a little disappointed the book didn't include more specific brand recommendations, but the general principles are definitely a step up from what I learn from colleagues.
Donald Walker
★★★★★This is a masterpiece of technical writing. The chapter on understanding how different solvents interact with various lacquers is worth the price alone. I have already re-structured my whole workshop's cleaning procedures around the advice in Chapter 1. It is precise, practical and puts an end to the voodoo of furniture care that circulates in laymen's forums. Highly recommended for any serious restoration person.