Cleaning oil soaked and stained wood grips

[Olle]

Originally Posted by mrerick

I have used the liquid citrus based stripper to remove finish and grime; followed up with 100% isopropyl alcohol and then acetone to further dissolve old stains.

Sometimes, you can use a steamer (a handheld cleaning appliance) to cause dented wood to restore shape, and also to remove oil based grime. i do this through a facecloth to absorb some of the moisture. This will alter the structure of the wood fibers so should be done with caution.

Marc

I might try the citrus based stripper, the Strip-X is pretty nasty to work with. I have already tried acetone and alcohol, and even though they do clean a lot of it off, there's still stubborn places that won't clean up (especially in the end grain).

I have never used a steamer to raise dents, the iron and a damp rag usually does the job for me. It's fairly easy to use on smaller areas without affecting the surrounding area, so how to you use a steamer on that?