Stripped doors

[Joshu]

We have recently had some interior doors professionally 'dipped' to remove all old paint and varnish. Having sanded them by hand and wiped with white spirit ready for waxing, a white coating is still reappearing. Any suggestions of further treatment or how long we shall have to wait before waxing, please?

[brachiopod]

I vaguely remember reading something about using vinegar (the clear, distilled variety) to wipe down your doors after dipping.
I believe they use sodium hydroxide ('caustic soda') to strip the doors. This is highly alkaline, so any residues require neutralising with an acid, hence the vinegar.
Try it a couple of times to see if this reduces the white efflorescence you are getting. (I presume re-apply until the efflorescence stops? Though I don't know how many applications this will take - perhaps just a couple if you are lucky !)

[dmsjps]

Hi Joshu, brachiopod is right: they do use caustic soda to strip doors. We had one stripped years ago, but my husband has done it himself since. Whenever he's finished stripping, my husband scrubs the wood with a mild detergent solution (Fairy liquid or something) and then rinses thoroughly several times with cold water and we've never had any problem with white marks. Perhaps it wasn't rinsed properly at the place you had it done. Also, as caustic soda really dries wood out, we've also applied linseed oil to the doors before using anything else, to help 'moisturise' the wood. Hope this helps, good luck.