Featured Cleaning Blue Trunk

Hi, purchased this great trunk and would like some advice as to how to clean the top which has water stains. It's not latex or oil paint, probably a 'milk' paint though it doesn't appear to be that old.
I've tried alcohol on a small space and it pulled up some dirt but didn't lessen the black rings. Moby and I say Thanks!

 

Some Antiquers may yell at me, but I would try rubbing a test spot with fine steel wool or even super fine sand paper.
Someone probably painted that top long ago because it was damaged in some way.

Of course, you could always strip the top and refinish with the darkest stain you can find.
PS, Hugs to Moby!

 

It was also customary during certain periods, so this could be original.
I rather like it painted, and the wood may not be very nice looking.

If Moby hasn't come up with a solution after inspecting it so thoroughly, maybe @verybrad has an idea?

 

I'd hold off stripping or repainting it,could be original paint-Brad should know.Can we get interior & hinge pics of trunk ?
PS-def more pics/videos of Moby.May he figures this is his new Kat Kondo ?

 

I would definitely make that a kitty perch.

 

Seconds on wanting pictures of the inside of the trunk. And of Moby of course. The black marks look like someone sat plant pots on this at one point, or similar. If the marks are on unprotected paint they may never come off, and if the paint is original best to leave bad enough alone.

 

attach steel wool to the cats paws.....get a laser pointer.....& in half an hour , the top will be sanded clean........

is the rug silk......I have 3 like it...but Puss barefed on one..

 

You could try washing with a mild soap and a damp rag. You may take up some of the paint so don't go crazy. Unfortunately, some paint loss may be the cost of improving the overall look. I doubt you will get all the marks out. Once you get it to where you like it, give it a coat of paste wax. If the paint looks too new, use a tinted wax.

If mild soap does nothing, move to something a bit harsher. Something like 409 or even a little ammonia in water as a last resort. There is no pat answer, so you will need to experiment a bit.

 

If all else fails, put a cat bed on top and call it solved. Just not one that slides. My parents had a cedar chest at the foot of the bed with a latchhooked train on top. (Dad was a notorious rail nut.) One cat liked hopping up there and would sometimes go skidding off the other end and land with a thump unless the rug was anchored somehow. Funny to everyone but the cat.

 

Moby and I appreciate all the kind and helpful comments; thank you all!
I tried a few things to clean up the black rings (soap, crud kutter, a little ammonia in water) but nothing dented them.

However, as you can see from the image, the ammonia really did a job on Moby!
I think my next step is to overspray some 'Federal Blue' mixed with gray to tone down the imperfections and cover some wear.

 

Not a bad option if you want to keep the painted look. I think anything else would be more akin to stripping than cleaning.

 

I still prefer the cat to the trunk.

 

I think we have two cats here!
Moby and his sibling?

 

Yes, indeed!

 

Ok, I'll come clean; the second cat is JR!

 

So you were fibbing!

 

Kristen did it! (for those who know their 80s American TV)

 

As in who shot JR????

 

Yup. Or in this case, who swiped the treats.