Best way to clean a wood high chair?

[kristine_elen]

We're using a 60-plus-year-old high chair that's been handed down in the family through the years (adding a crotch strap for safety) and I can't seem to get rid of this sticky feeling on it. We had it professionally re-glued and cleaned, and I've gone over it several times with 409 and warm water, but nothing helps. Any suggestions?
Thanks!

[Momof3Labs]

Is the problem that it is dirty or that the finish is sticky? You might want to have it refinished if it is the finish. Or someone could probably restore it, if you don't want to strip the original finish off of it.

[kristine_elen]

I don't know if it's dirty or if it's the finish. Does finish get sticky after several decades?

[Momof3Labs]

I've definitely felt wood with a sticky finish in the past - perhaps someone along the way put something on it that they thought was good, and that is what is causing the stickiness now. Is the stickiness everywhere, or just where you would expect a high chair to be sticky?

[SeekerMage]

If Im not mistaken the 409 is one thing that makes it have a sticky feeling. It does something to the finish that activates it and makes it sticky. We have experienced this with wood before. If Im not mistaken the proper thing to clean it with is water and vinegar. Its a natural cleaner, though smelly, and it gets rid of the stickyness and germs. If you need something more abrasive you can use baking soda and water as well. If you need something to get the stuck down food with one thing that works wonders is the Pampered Chef little brown scrapers that come with their pizza stones. You can get a two pace for about $1 or so. They have a good edge on them that gets everything up and doesnt damage the surface! I know if you look online there are other treatments for wood surfaces that are also baby safe and natural. Hints by Heloise or something like that has a lot, I think she is from Good Housekeeping Magazine, or is atleast featured in them.

If changing to the vinegar or other natural cleaner doesnt help, you might want to have it refinished (the tray atleast) and have a waterproof sealer put on it that is non toxic, it should help with the ease of cleaning and stickyness since the finish could be damaged. In the mean time one thing you might try doing is putting a plastic mat down, or get one of those plastic table cloths, or a sheet of thin plastic to wrap around the tray that you could temporarily tape down? Would definitly be easier to clean especially if you just put the food down on the tray. We are looking to get a wood high chair for our little one, though I prefer to use bowls and plates rather then just serving on the tray (something my mother always insisted on) for the messy foods. I hope this helps, it sounds like a wonderful hand me down to use for your little one!
:)

[kristine_elen]

Hey, that baking soda and vinegar seemed to work really well. I used to use bak. soda and vin. to clean all the time -- can't believe I forgot to think of it. (I mixed the two together on the tray to get that fizzing action -- now watch, that will be bad, too.) THANKS SO MUCH for your help!
And good luck with your pregnancy and adoption. Our son is 6 months old and we're thinking of adopting a second child in a few years.