Howard FW0016 Feed N Wax Conditioner 16 Ounce
As someone who has been around an extensive amount of furniture his whole life, I try to make sure that I am able to take care of it properly.
There are an extensive number of of waxes/polishes, etc. out there. Most of the popular ones in the media out there feature silicone (cough, Pledge, cough). Also, just as bad, are the "cleaners" out there such as "Murphy's Oil Soap" -- a truly bad idea for a nice finish on furniture.
There are a number of finishes out there -- modern day finishes (ie: polyurethanes) as well as shellacs, etc.
If you want a polish/wax/cleaner that can handle modern-day finishes and just about any antique finish, then Howard's is definitely the way to go! For the record, I'm not a huge fan of the micro-crystalline polishes out there as I think they are too abrasive for some older more fragile finishes.
It features a combination of: carnauba wax (often found in quality waxes, especially in car waxes), beeswax, orange oil, and petroleum distilates (an unfortunately but necessary evil).
It is a thick liquid (like cake batter) that is easily spread/applied across large flat surfaces as well as worked into nooks and crannies.
You apply it....and let it dry (anywhere from 20 mins to hours or even a day) then lightly buff it (this is where the carnauba wax is important!) to a respectable sheen (think somewhere around a satin scene in terms of paint definitions).
It does a good job of hiding minor surface blemishes/scratches, evening out tones/colors, and enhancing the natural wood grain. The talk about it "revitalizing thirsty wood" is mostly bunk, though -- if a finish is mostly intact (polyurethane, shellac, and even milk paint to a degree), it will be fairly protected from moisture getting in/out as well as any "penetrating" substances.
One of the other truly cool things about this polish is that you can revitalize a worn out finish by mixing it with stain (like Minwax) and apply it to a well-loved (or beaten up!) piece.
In short, an excellent product that can revitalize a tired, old finish in a limited manner and provides a long term protective coating to just about any piece of furniture.
5/5!
Get your Howard FW0016 Feed N Wax Conditioner 16 Ounce Now!
As someone who has been around an extensive amount of furniture his whole life, I try to make sure that I am able to take care of it properly.
BalasHapusThere are an extensive number of of waxes/polishes, etc. out there. Most of the popular ones in the media out there feature silicone (cough, Pledge, cough). Also, just as bad, are the "cleaners" out there such as "Murphy's Oil Soap" -- a truly bad idea for a nice finish on furniture.
There are a number of finishes out there -- modern day finishes (ie: polyurethanes) as well as shellacs, etc.
If you want a polish/wax/cleaner that can handle modern-day finishes and just about any antique finish, then Howard's is definitely the way to go! For the record, I'm not a huge fan of the micro-crystalline polishes out there as I think they are too abrasive for some older more fragile finishes.
It features a combination of: carnauba wax (often found in quality waxes, especially in car waxes), beeswax, orange oil, and petroleum distilates (an unfortunately but necessary evil).
It is a thick liquid (like cake batter) that is easily spread/applied across large flat surfaces as well as worked into nooks and crannies.
You apply it....and let it dry (anywhere from 20 mins to hours or even a day) then lightly buff it (this is where the carnauba wax is important!) to a respectable sheen (think somewhere around a satin scene in terms of paint definitions).
It does a good job of hiding minor surface blemishes/scratches, evening out tones/colors, and enhancing the natural wood grain. The talk about it "revitalizing thirsty wood" is mostly bunk, though -- if a finish is mostly intact (polyurethane, shellac, and even milk paint to a degree), it will be fairly protected from moisture getting in/out as well as any "penetrating" substances.
One of the other truly cool things about this polish is that you can revitalize a worn out finish by mixing it with stain (like Minwax) and apply it to a well-loved (or beaten up!) piece.
In short, an excellent product that can revitalize a tired, old finish in a limited manner and provides a long term protective coating to just about any piece of furniture.
5/5!
I could go on all day about how good this product is. It is the only product that I have found that really will refresh dried wood finishes on oak kitchen cabinets; they look brand new when the product is applied. There is no nasty smell, either. Please follow the instructions; I usually use clean cloth rags that I throw out rather than keep, although paper towels will work. This item can be expensive, ranging up to $25 per bottle. If you go price shopping, be sure you are purchasing the 16 ounce size, because it comes in the smaller sizes of 4 and 8 ounces. The best price I found was on Amazon, through a vendor called acehardwareoutlet, which I have used more than once, and would also recommend. I was recently able to order three bottles for a total price of $25.34, including shipping. That is a lot of product, however, I gave one bottle to a friend as a gift, and she loved it; it's a perfect gift for someone who has a lot of oak furniture.
BalasHapusNovember 14, 2012 update:
This is simply a wonderful product. I have now used Howard's conditioner on all of my oak cabinets for about 20 years. What is so great about Howard's are these things:
1. The oil soaks into oak and revitalizes the wood and brings back the luster. You only have to use it about twice a year unless you have cabinets that are exposed to something like a coffeemaker (the steam) or in a bathroom (water and steam). In those cases I use Howard's about three times a year.
2. The results are immediate. The wood is cleaned and conditioned at the same time.
3. The product is easy on your hands, and there is a pleasant smell.
4. The directions are straightforward, but what I do is use paper towels instead of cloth, rub the oil gently into the wood, and just leave the cabinets alone until dry, which can take some hours.
At the current price of $8.76 with super saver shipping, this is a screaming deal. Howard's is hard to locate, and I was very pleased to find it on Amazon today since I was running low. A 16-ounce bottle lasts a long time; however, I just bought three of them, not only to take advantage of the free shipping, but to give as Christmas gifts this year. If you have friends that already have enough "stuff" and have oak furniture, they will love Howard's.
I use it to rejuvenate and preserve antique gun (oiled) wood stocks. Product does an excellent job. Directions say to wipe it off in 20 minutes. I let it soak in for a few days and then lightly wax again to recoat the dull spots and wipe down a day later. I always use the same cloth to apply and a clean cloth to wipe. Additional application(s) may be necessary after a few weeks if the wood is real "thirsty". A little bit goes a long way if you use the same applicator cloth and store it in a zip-lock bag.
BalasHapusI guess bees wax is really in these days and was surprised to see it as a wood polish , but it does the job. I got it for my guitar and ended up polishing all the furniture with it :)
BalasHapusA very little goes a long way, so go easy on the amount as you don't want your wood to look too 'greasy'... light application and it is right on
We used Howard's Feed-N-Wax on all our bare wood and wood furniture too! We started out using the Feed-N-Wax on the antique furniture but ended up using it on all of the cedar beams in the house. It cleaned and brought the grain to its original color of 9 years ago. We have a post and beam house with a lot of cedar beams running every which way and it did take your time but it brighten up the whole house. The bees wax dries into the wood. The following day we didn't feel anything on the wood. (We tried to put the wax on as thick as possible without having to wipe it off.)
BalasHapusWe would recommend Howard's Feed-N-Wax highly..... We opened cap and squeezed onto a sponge like applicator used in waxing the car and applied in a circular motion.
This product is great for oak furniture. It soaks into the wood and creates a deeper look to the wood and gives the furniture a bit of a shine. It also lasts longer than your everday furniture oil. The furniture wont dry out as easily with Howards vise furniture oil.
BalasHapusI've used this product for about 15 years on all my new and antique furniture. It never leaves a residue and gives the furniture a beautiful shine and look...plus it it smells good after you use it. My sister-in-law thought I was kidding her when I gave her a bottle to use...now she's totally committed to using it. Should I say I highly recommend it.
BalasHapusWe've had trouble with our front door. Rain made spots on the wood. I used Howard Products Restore-A-Finish on it and it looked great. That is until the pest service sprayed the door, leaving a new set of white blotches. R-A-F fixed up again and we told the Pest Guy to bug off. THEN a cat selected our front stoop as a nightly stop and began to spray the door with dire results. This time I followed up the R-A-F application with Howard Products Feed-N-Wax, since we weren't ready to off the neighbor's cat. It looked even better than it had before and so far it has resisted the cat's best efforts. I'm sold on it.
BalasHapus