People often ask us what we recommend to clean and polish antique clock cases. After trying a large variety of products we found one that we are confident using in the shop, and we feel good about selling for your use at home. We do not use it on modern furniture with a polyurethane finish because it will just sit on top of the finish and not penetrate into the wood, but for antique pieces it is simply the best. We apply it with a small piece of cotton cloth and/or a soft paint brush. You can use a little on a cloth every time you dust, or more generously for a piece that needs more care.
Here is the story about The Natchez Solution:
After 30 years of searching for a quality wood furnishings conditioner, Mississippian Jack Ramsey developed The Natchez Solution. Ramsey discovered a 1738 recipe from a Virginia pioneer that actually feeds into the grain of the wood. He studied, worked and refined this mixture into an all-natural blend of beeswax, mineral oil and lemon oil. Ramsey began test marketing his conditioner in 1983 under the name The Solution. He sent several samples to Natchez Mississippi antebellum homeowners and antique dealers because, he said, “If it worked on all that priceless furniture, we had something.”
The response was overwhelming. In fact, the city of Natchez was so impressed with Ramsey’s product that it allowed him to add the city’s official logo to his product and it became The Natchez Solution. Mr. Ramsey has since passed on but The Natchez Solution continues to be made in rural Hinds County near Jackson Mississippi and is now available worldwide via the web site www.natchezsolution.com . Evidence of the Natchez Solution can be seen in museums, private homes, country clubs, antique shops and furniture stores throughout.
There are two reasons for The Natchez Solution’s success. One is the selection of oils in the formula which are heat-blended with raw beeswax and lemon oil to “feed” the wood and bring out its luster; the other is the method used to suspend the all-natural ingredients so they won’t separate and leave behind the age-old problem of wax build-up. The wax and oils feed into the wood together and replace the lost sap to keep the wood alive. This prevents furniture from cracking and splitting and drawers from sticking as a result of age and natural wear and tear.
The Natchez Solution’s customers say there is no substitute. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Ben Long, owner of Uncle Ben’s Country Cottage in Jackson. Long buys the product by the 55-gallon drum for polishing his hand-made furniture. Long also uses it with 0000 steel wool to clean and polish antique wood. Pennsylvania home restorer Jeffrey Wyatt uses Natchez Solution on hardwood floors. “We like to leave the patina in the floors of our restored homes,” says Wyatt. “The Natchez Solution works great to clean the dirt and protect the wood. We even use it on staircases and mantels.”
*Thanks to www.natchezsolution.com for the information! Stop by and pick up a bottle today.