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Anyone ever have success cleaning nicotine stains safely?
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 6:09 pm
by hirdlej
My Wurlitzer 1900 has the most beautiful condition original sides anyone could ever ask for. No gouges, scratches or nicks. I know in 1956, wurlitzer painted (I think it was called dynaweld) over walnut wood veneers. I don't want to ruin the original finish, but I was wondering if anyone has had success cleaning these types of stains off the painted wood surface. Talking to a jukebox restorer, he advised me to never try cleaning the nicotine with any cleaners. He said to put up with it and it is what it is. In his years, he's tried a lot of things, but he said that it will have "zebra stripes" in the finish and that I'll do more harm than good. Anyone want to share their experiences? Have before and after photos? I can tolerate it I guess, I'm just trying to do my best to snaz things up I guess.
Re: Anyone ever have success cleaning nicotine stains safely
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 7:00 pm
by MattTech
Regular Windex easily removes tar stains from smoking. - it's not nicotine as everybody seems to think - it's tar staining.
Try a small spot in a corner first, and decide from there.
Re: Anyone ever have success cleaning nicotine stains safely
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 7:12 pm
by Ron Rich
Matt,
Ya beat me to it--I was gonna say the same thing ! Except I have found that one must be careful with "Windex" branded products.
Seems like either there is more then one "formula", or more then one company using the name brand. I have found SOME "glass cleaners" that will remove the tar stains, and others that just smear it out--the secret, mostly, IMHO, is to use ONLY a clean rag--wipe ONCE--do not re-wipe anywhere with a dirty one-- Ron Rich
Re: Anyone ever have success cleaning nicotine stains safely
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 7:50 pm
by CoinTech
There is a line of products made for cleaning and protecting furniture, antiques especially, called Kotton Klenser. The originator made a product called Lemonite for cleaning pinball playfields. It cleaned even the dirtiest. They sell at antique shows but also have a website.
Re: Anyone ever have success cleaning nicotine stains safely
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 8:34 pm
by DoghouseRiley
The problem with plastics, is it's not only nicotine staining, there's often some discolouration due to age and the effects of light, it's the combination of both which makes renovation difficult.
Re: Anyone ever have success cleaning nicotine stains safely
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 8:53 pm
by Ron Rich
Doghouse,
"Nick -O-Teen" does not stain !
"Plastic out gas-ing" is the reason it deteriorates. My car "headlamp" covers do this about once a year--I have had to use a "restorer" on them several times--never really had "good luck", and have tried several "brands". My car "sits in the sun" on most days--and the UV is what causes it, IMHO-- ( my '82 Chebby truck, has sat out there since new--never been "inside"--never had this problem with the GLASS headlamps ??-Improvements ?? OK--will admit--a "rock" has broken out my headlight on several occasions--simple, swap headlight assembly--) Ron Rich
Re: Anyone ever have success cleaning nicotine stains safely
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 10:45 pm
by ds100h
I have good fortune using Mr. Clean Magic Erasers for cleaning up the stains on several different jukeboxes. The key is, as Ron said, keep the erraser clean, the cleaner the better. If the stains are stubborn I will use a product called Professor Amos' Shock It Clean.
I have never found any damage for the eraser or multii-cleaning product.
Best
Darrell
Re: Anyone ever have success cleaning nicotine stains safely
Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 12:17 am
by DoghouseRiley
Ron Rich wrote:Doghouse,
"Nick -O-Teen" does not stain !
"Plastic out gas-ing" is the reason it deteriorates. My car "headlamp" covers do this about once a year--I have had to use a "restorer" on them several times--never really had "good luck", and have tried several "brands". My car "sits in the sun" on most days--and the UV is what causes it, IMHO-- ( my '82 Chebby truck, has sat out there since new--never been "inside"--never had this problem with the GLASS headlamps ??-Improvements ?? OK--will admit--a "rock" has broken out my headlight on several occasions--simple, swap headlight assembly--) Ron Rich
Nicotine does stain. Our son bought a house previously occupied by a heavy smoker for forty years, it was "everywhere" and particularly bad on on the ceiling over where he sat in an armchair. It took a hell of a lot of work to remove it. If we painted over it, it would have "bled" through the paint.
LikewIse, my Rock-Ola 406 had it "everywhere" when I bought it, you can smell it, it took a lot of effort to clean it off.
Yes UV does alter the colour of plastics, black car bumpers go grey.
The only problem I have with car headlights is the effect of dust in the air has on them when you're traveling at high speeds. I get my car paste out and go over them with a pad on an electric drill now and again to get rid of the haze on the edges of them.
Re: Anyone ever have success cleaning nicotine stains safely
Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 12:22 am
by Ron Rich
H Doghouse,
Nope, as stated above by both, Matt, and myself--the stain is "TAR"--
Ron Rich
Re: Anyone ever have success cleaning nicotine stains safely
Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 4:58 am
by MattTech
Ron Rich wrote:H Doghouse,
Nope, as stated above by both, Matt, and myself--the stain is "TAR"--
Ron Rich
Thanks Ron.
Nicotine is colorless, actually.
As was mentioned several times now - the
TAR is what causes the stain on things. (Google if you don't believe us)
Even to your lungs.
Now, please let me go, so I can fire up a nice Pall Mall ciggie, and relax after my late dinner at the next door neighbors.
Re: Anyone ever have success cleaning nicotine stains safely
Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2014 3:47 pm
by mdmccool
Best thing I have found for tar is GoJo hand cleaner (non-pumice). I use it on everything from wooden radio cabinets to chassis, plastics, etc. Removes everything, grease, grime, tar - you name it. Apply it with a toothbrush or stiff artists brush and scrub the surface. Let sit 15 minutes or so and wipe clean.
Tar removal? Check this out:
Re: Anyone ever have success cleaning nicotine stains safely
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 12:26 am
by Jukebox Junkie
Hi,
Not sure if you want to use this method on the sides of your cabinet or not. The best thing I have found is dow scrubbing bubbles. It will remove all nicotine from parts. It will however remove paint, or loosen it.
But for metal and plastic parts, I just put them in the laundry tub, spray to coat, walk away for 15 minutes come back, rinse with very hot water and dry with a hair dryer.
It makes parts look like new. It even removes stains that lacquer thinner won't touch. Makes mechanism parts look like new.
Just my 2 cents...
Tony
Re: Anyone ever have success cleaning nicotine stains safely
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 5:52 am
by hirdlej
Wow, the GOJO is a new one I've never heard.
Sorry if I referred to the stains as "nicotine" stains. I know it's tar residue.
I recently started work on this wurlitzer 1900 and aside from a few nicks here and there, the sides are in really nice shape. Just "smokey" or "tar coated" if you want to call it that. I'm not sure if I should try risking cleaning it, or just put up with it. I'm afraid if I clean it with something, it'll look "blotchy".
Am I right in my logic thinking that the walnut veneer on the cabinet will have areas where the wood is of different density? If that's the case, will it not clean evenly? I've had good luck cleaning tar stains from everything metal or plastic. I've just never tried on the outside of a cabinet, and I'm just not sure what to do.
Re: Anyone ever have success cleaning nicotine stains safely
Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 6:52 pm
by mdmccool
I've never had blotchy results with Gojo. I have been using it on antique radio cabinets for years with excellent results - and 99.9% of them are walnut veneer, grain filled and lacquered. I'm not sure how the sides of your 1900 are finished but I would bet lacquer or shellac. I would think the finish would prevent the gojo from penetrating the wood.
Here is a link from the antique radio forum with some excellent results:
http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/vie ... 7&t=237244Good luck,
Matt
Re: Anyone ever have success cleaning nicotine stains safely
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 2:59 am
by hirdlej
mdmccool wrote:I've never had blotchy results with Gojo. I have been using it on antique radio cabinets for years with excellent results - and 99.9% of them are walnut veneer, grain filled and lacquered. I'm not sure how the sides of your 1900 are finished but I would bet lacquer or shellac. I would think the finish would prevent the gojo from penetrating the wood.
Here is a link from the antique radio forum with some excellent results:
http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/vie ... 7&t=237244Good luck,
Matt
Keep in mind, that Wurlitzer I think used a DI-NOC finish first developed by 3M. I'm not sure what this finish can accept or resist. Perhaps I should start with a small thing, like the coin door. At least, if that screws up, I will have less work into fixing it than a whole side. I'm still hesitant to try, as I know once I get started, there's no going back.
