OrangeYouBold: Bringing beauty back to something old requires more than one step

Published 8:21 am Wednesday, May 27, 2020

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Tricia Stroud
OrangeYouBold

(Editor’s Note: This is part one of a two-part series.)

Hello beautiful people. I will be writing a two for one on this project. Things never go quite as planned in the world of creating and repurposing.

My bedroom is undergoing an update. I have hopes to create something beautiful, peaceful and colorful.

The place we call home was built in 1936. It’s tucked away on a historical block in Orange. The historic edition stretches beyond what most people think.

A shed that was in the backyard of our home had some random fixtures original to the home. In the process of cleaning it out recently my husband found a doorknob set. It still had a piece of the wood attached to it. The condition of this hardware is rough. I did a little research on restoring it to the original finish.

I am a firm believer in seeing things through and I did with this technique.

I brushed the piece to remove the loose debris from it. I decided to let it soak in hot soapy water for about fifteen minutes. I removed it from the water after a light scrubbing. I dried the piece with a cloth.

You will need vinegar, baking soda and a toothbrush for this project.

I used the toothbrush to brush the piece with vinegar. After you complete this step, you will sprinkle baking soda on the piece. The two products will react. It reminded me of fuzzy mold you see on expired fruit. Allow it to sit for 30 minutes.

Once the time ended, I dipped the toothbrush back in the vinegar and lightly scrubbed the entire piece. I immediately rinsed it off in the sink and dried it.

Well as you see in the photos it was a little cleaner but not restored to it’s original finish. Sometimes things work and sometimes they don’t.

The buildup on this piece was too much for this process. I will venture out and look for another option to restore the piece. Stay tuned next week to see if I am able to get the years of build-up off of these beautiful doorknobs.

Remember to be bold and just tackle that job you have been skeptical about. OrangeYouBold…YES I AM! Email me your favorite refinished project at orangeyoubold@gmail.com and follow me on Instagram at OrangeYouBold.