three questions about wood

[bananahands]

So I'm having three challenges with various wood surfaces in my home, and hope you may have some ideas.

#1: We have a newer solid wood bedframe that seems to have mold in the joints where the wood pieces come together. I can't see it, but that's where the smell is the strongest. (I think some over-aggressive humidifying in the bedroom last winter was the culprit.) Has anyone dealt with this before? I don't think I can take these particular pieces apart without damaging the bed. Someone suggested cleaning it with bleach, but can I put bleach on finished wood?

#2: We have an old, but reliable, wood table (maple, maybe?) that we use in the dining room. It's been years since it was refinished, and it's faded from the constant washing. I'd like to refinish it again, but am not sure what would stand up well. I think I just used tung oil the last time. We didn't have kids then so it didn't get the same wear and tear we're putting it through these days. Any recommendations?

#3: We have wood floors in most of the house. The color is good but the finish is dull. Anything we can do (short of refinishing, which is not an option right now) to bring some life back to them?

Thanks!

[kayabrink]

I think pure vinegar will kill the mold and be ok on the bed frame. Can you test in a non visible area? I grew mold on the wall in our bedroom last year and got rid of it this way, with no damage to the paint finish. I also clean our newer, solid wood shiny finish dr table with half and half water vinegar spray, with no ill effects.
Dining room table, I'd go with tung oil rather than anything more durable but probably toxic, i think. But, you'll probably have to redo it not too far down the road, in that case.
I'm facing an ongoing battle with our wood floors- previous owners re-varnished them without sanding first... THREE TIMES! The varnish now is chipped and peeling. Crawling 8 mo dd picks it to eat , so I've been obsessively scraping it up bit by bit while she sleeps.
So, I'm looking for a floor solution too...

[ASusan]

Originally Posted by bananahands

So I'm having three challenges with various wood surfaces in my home, and hope you may have some ideas.

#3: We have wood floors in most of the house. The color is good but the finish is dull. Anything we can do (short of refinishing, which is not an option right now) to bring some life back to them?

Thanks!

Can you find someone to come clean, wax and buff the floors? I had this done in a 50-yr-old house whose floors hadn't been re-done in years, and it really brought the life back. However, it is an older procedure, and you might have difficulty finding someone to do it. The company that did mine no longer does it.

[nd_deadhead]

If you used tung oil on the table before, all you need to do is put on another coat of tung oil - no stripping or sanding.

Be sure to use pure tung oil - the stuff you can get in the hardware store is mixed with chemical solvents, and I wouldn't want to use it on a dining table.