Cleaning smoke "damage"??

[Dick Simonis]

I've been spending the last couple of days in Goodyear putting the finishing touches on our coach....really want to get out of here with in Monday but there are still several unresolved issues.  One of them is cleaning the damage to the cabinets cause by the smoke....which I now think was more like a small explosion when the power strip blew up.  I've attached a pic of the affected area but it almost looks lik(and smells like) vaporized insulation.  I have tried cleaning it with 4U, soap and water, and nothing comes off except some light surface dirt.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  I don't really want to here "finish is damaged"  as that would be a real pain in the 6.

Thanks for any thoughts.

Dick

[Dick Simonis]

Trying again to post the pic.

[Tom and Pam Brown]

Dry a  mister clean eraser.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Dick,

The finish on the vertical divider between the cabinets looks like it may have suffered heat as well as smoke damage (finish on top 1/2 doesn't appear smooth).   You may be looking a refinish if soap. water, TSTp, etc. doesn't touch it. You may be able to use some fine sandpaper, e.g. 320 grit and carefully remove the finish and smoke color w/o impacting the wood stain color. Then you are just looking at at re-coat with a polyurethane varnish. Not too painful....

This came from a  web article.
Use a solution TSP (disodium phosphate cleaner) to clean walls and other hard surfaces. Dilute a tablespoon of TSP in a gallon of water and use it to scrub painted surfaces and also natural wood. Ensure that wood is allowed to dry thoroughly and then treated with a good quality beeswax polish to restore its former sheen.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2538253
 Good luck! Steve

[John Hennessey]

I would not use polyurethane.  The finish on these cabinets is lacquer. Just get some brushing lacquer at your hardware store or you can tape off and use the can.  Put on thin coats. If it ends up not as shiny buff it until it is shiny to the same degree as the rest of the cabinet.

[Dick Simonis]

Ohhhh, not what I wanted to hear.  However the bright side is that this is still part of the insurance settlement so I won't have to attempt anything myself.  I can do a lot of things, but when it comes to anything wood that is a big mystery.  Reckon I should just let the adjuster know there are still ongoing problems and deal with it when I get the coach home.  This long distance stuff is a real nuisance.

Might even wait till Quartzite and see if anyone there has some thoughts.  I seem to recollect that at least one mobile person visited our "circle' last year.

Plus what you don't see is the door.  Not real pretty either.  Plus all the crap on the inside.  FYI, it sitll smells up the place.  And than there is the ceiling above the cabinet.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Sounds like a job for the insurance!
Steve

[Keith Moffett]

Spray a small amount of WD-40 on a clean cloth and do a test area.  This should remove the soot unless the finish is damaged.  It is then a simple clean up to remove the WD-40.

Keith

[Bill Sprague]

Spray a small amount of WD-40 on a clean cloth and do a test area.  This should remove the soot unless the finish is damaged.  It is then a simple clean up to remove the WD-40.

Keith

I used WD-40 to remove some bubble gum stuck to a granddaughter when she was about 2 years old.  Its memorable because her mother (my daughter-in-law) was not happy with me.