Okay so last weekend I went digging through grandma’s old trunk up in the attic. Dust bunnies everywhere, smelled kinda funky. Found this beautiful old wooden purse tucked way in the back. Felt rough, looked super dull, and honestly? I almost panicked. Didn’t wanna ruin a family heirloom, you know?
The Initial “Oh Crap” Moment & Cleaning Stupid
First thing I did? Grabbed a wet cloth and just started wiping. Bad idea. Seriously stupid. Water soaked right into the wood near the clasp hinge. Left these ugly, cloudy wet spots that dried looking even worse than before. Ugh. Felt like kicking myself.
So, I stopped. Took a breath. Actually put the purse down. Went back downstairs and started Googling like crazy. Turns out, water is like enemy number one for this stuff. Felt kinda obvious now.
Figuring Out How to Handle It Without Ruining It
My main takeaway: Be gentle. Be super gentle. Forget water. Forget soaps. Here’s what I actually ended up doing:
- Soft Brush Action: Found a super soft, dry makeup brush – one of those fluffy ones? Perfect. Gently flicked dust and cobwebs off the surface and out of the carved bits. Didn’t press hard, just kinda… tickled it clean.
- Surface Check: Held it under a strong lamp. Scanned every inch. Noticed the wood felt really dry and rough, almost thirsty. Like it was begging for some oil. Also spotted some whitish residue that wasn’t dust. Not mold, thank god, but maybe wax buildup? Or polish residue?
- Magic Vinegar Hack (Seriously!): Remembered my aunt cleaning old furniture with vinegar years ago. Grapped a jar of plain white vinegar and a super soft cotton cloth. Only made it slightly damp with vinegar – barely damp! Did a tiny test spot inside the purse where no one would see. Watched it for an hour. Nothing bad happened! So, gently dabbed the cloth on the whitish spots on the outside. Held my breath. Watched the grime just… lift away. Magic!
- Oiling Time: Okay, the wood desperately needed moisture. But WHAT kind? I had mineral oil in the cupboard. Again, tiny test spot inside. Waited. Looked good. Used a completely different clean cotton cloth. Literally dipped just the tip of my pinky finger into the mineral oil, got barely any on it. Then rubbed that finger on the clean cloth until only a faint, faint trace was left. Buffed the purse lightly with this cloth. Only did small sections at a time, letting it sit for 20 minutes before buffing off any excess with a clean dry cloth. It soaked it right up! Less is definitely more here. Did one super light coat like this, over two days.
Seeing the Difference & Where I Keep It Now
The change was nuts. It wasn’t “like new” – it shouldn’t be! – but the wood looked alive again. Deepened color, smoother surface, way less dry and scratchy feeling. The carvings suddenly popped. Made grandma proud, I think.
Keeping it safe is key. Learned that lesson hard after the water disaster. It’s back inside the trunk, but not touching anything else. Wrapped it loosely in some old, super clean, super soft cotton pillowcase fabric. No plastic! Needs to breathe. The attic isn’t too humid or too dry, thankfully. I just peek at it sometimes now. Thinking maybe once a year I’ll give it that tiny oiling treatment again if it feels dry.
Honestly? Was nerve-wracking at first. Felt like walking on eggshells. But seeing it looking cared for again? Totally worth the careful effort.
