Wood and Metal Repair Tips

• painting
  Painting adheres better to galvanized metal after it has been brushed with vinegar.    

• removing glue from old furniture
  To loosen old glue around rungs and joints of tables and chairs being repaired, apply distilled vinegar with a small oil can. 

• cleaning raw wood
  White vinegar can also be used to clean raw wood, such as a wooden cutting board. Pour undiluted vinegar onto the wood and then use a sponge to literally push the dirt away. Be sure to wipe in the direction of the wood grain, starting at one end and working to the other. This way the dirt you are trying to get rid of won't be pushed back into the wood grain.  

• cleaning wooden paneling
  Clean wood paneling with a mixture of one part olive oil to two parts of distilled vinegar in 4 cups (1 liter) of warm water. Moisten a soft cloth with the solution and wipe the paneling. The yellowing is then removed by wiping with a soft, dry cloth. 

• basic wood cleaning solution
  3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
  3 tablespoons water
  1/2 teaspoon liquid soap or detergent
  A few drops olive oil
  
  This is a good mix for well-used furniture. The vinegar does a wonderful job of pulling dirt out of wood. Combine the ingredients in a bowl, saturate a sponge with the mixture, and squeeze out the excess to wash surfaces. The smell of vinegar will disappear in a few hours. Always store carefully in a labeled jar or bottle.