Alternate punny post title: Some Midcentury Microdermabrasion. Yesterday John told the story of how we tracked down an old thrift-store table and fixed its wobbly legs. Since we keep this DIY diary pretty real-time (if a project takes two days it earns two posts — if a kitchen takes four months it earns about a hundred), here’s chapter two of our dresser-turned-media-cabinet project. Possible titles: How I Showed A Dingy Old Wood Dresser Some Sweet Sweet Love or Dr $herdog And Her Scrub-tastic Tricks, depending on your mood.
Here’s how I brought this 50+-year-old piece back from scratched, grimy, and bedraggled. The process was simple and mostly about cleaning and revealing what was already there. These are the tools I used.
Yes, really — my first go-to was a Magic Eraser. For old, dry wood that’s seen better days, it’s fantastic at lifting years of surface grime. It works similarly to very fine steel wool or high-grit sandpaper but is gentler on your hands. What looks like permanent streaks or paint can often be wiped away, revealing fresher-looking wood underneath. Below is a close-up of the bottom right side of the cabinet before any scrubbing.
And here’s the same area after about five minutes of buffing with a damp Magic Eraser.
I repeated that gentle buffing across the top, sides, and legs. Tip: test the eraser on an out-of-the-way spot first to make sure it won’t harm the finish. On dry, sun-faded wood it usually acts like fine abrasion and just evens things out without causing damage.
Next I tackled the drawer interiors, which were musty and dusty. Instead of scrubbing back to a shine, I wiped each drawer with an old rag moistened with white vinegar. Vinegar is excellent for removing dust and neutralizing musty odors — it smells strong while wet but dries odorless, leaving drawers that no longer smell stale.
Here’s how the piece looked after a few hours of outside scrubbing with the Magic Eraser and a vinegar wipe of the drawers.
Quite a difference from the muddled thrift-store finish, right? Hence the post title — a little microdermabrasion for furniture. Dr. $herdog doesn’t mess around.
After cleaning, we left the drawers open in the sunroom so everything could fully air-dry and any vinegar scent could dissipate. About eight hours later we moved the cabinet into the living room. It took over two years to find the right media cabinet, but patience paid off.
We plan to store some TV components in a drawer instead of on the floor — either by hinging the drawer front for remote access or using an RF remote that works through wood. For now, the setup is functional and looks good.
Originally we considered painting the top, sides, and bottom white while leaving the rest in the original wood tone, but after cleaning it up and placing it in the room we actually like the natural wood as-is. It balances nicely with the other wooden pieces we already have and contrasts with our white furniture instead of duplicating it.
We also like the original hardware for now, although we might eventually switch to an oil-rubbed bronze finish to better match nearby curtain rods and the dark TV. Either way, it’s an easy change and something to consider later.
I’d like to add a wood-restoring seal or topcoat to bring back luster since the finish is dry and matte. I picked up a product to try and will post results and photos when we apply it, possibly alongside a tutorial for hinging a drawer or using an RF remote. With upcoming travel it may be a few weeks, but I’m excited to finish this piece.
To secure the TV for child safety we used an anchor system to keep it in place. We’ve reused the same system on different pieces over time and it works well to prevent tipping. Similar anchors are useful for tethering dressers, desks, and leaning mirrors as needed.
Now we’re enjoying a TV at a comfortable height that doesn’t weigh the room down. I’ll fill the drawers with Clara’s overflowing games and toys, which is something I’m eagerly looking forward to. As a final note: we sold the old TV cabinet on Craigslist for $30, so after that sale this $59 find cost us about $29 net. Not bad.
Are you restoring an old piece? Have you tried vinegar to de-must drawers or a Magic Eraser on grungy wood? It’s not recommended for glossy or lacquered finishes, which could show tiny scratches, but for dry, worn wood it can reveal a lot more than you expect. Less-beat-up-than-you-thought furniture for the win.