What's in Pledge?

[Gene Collison]

Anyone know whether using pledge is detrimental to refinishing? Seems like I remember it contains silicone which would surely make things difficult. Anyone know for sure? LOML likes to use some sort of liquid product as an aid to dusting the furniture. Thanks

Gene

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

Pledge is mostly mineral oil, water and a drop or two of lemon oil for the smell. Spray it on a mirror or glass and wait and you will see the oil and water seperate. Why would anyone want to put water on furniture? I don't know. Why would anyone want to put oil on furniture? I don't know. I remember back when we bought automobiles in any color we wanted as long as it was black, we used to use kerosene oil or some other real light oil as a car polish. The car would really gleam until we took it on the roads which were mostly gravel back then. Of course the dust would really get thick on the newly oiled surfaces. I told my wife if she wants to use Pledge don't ask me to dust because I would be dusting all the time to remove the dust that collects on the oil. (-:

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

Forgot to mention silicone. I am getting forgetful now and I don't have any Pledge in the house so I had better not comment for sure about that, but I believe it does contain the stuff.

[Gene Collison]

Forgot to mention silicone. I am getting forgetful now and I don't have any Pledge in the house so I had better not comment for sure about that, but I believe it does contain the stuff.

Thanks Don, seems like the stuff not to use!

Gene

[Jim Stastny]

The main "problem" with Pledge is the silicone. No finish on any wood is 100% flawless. As a result the silicone may work its way under the finish and be absorbed by the wood. When you try to refinish a wood impregnated by silicone you may get an orange peel effect, depending on the type of finish you use. The problem can be overcome by using shellac as a barrier coat before your final finish.

The best resorces on the use of "Pledge" can be found in either Bob Flexner's or Jeff Jewitt's book on finishing.

[Gene Collison]

Thanks Jim

Gene