TKO Orange Oil: The Most Awesome Annie Sloan Dark Wax Tip - Ever!

Disclaimer:  So many people have pinned this tip that I want to say - please test an area.  I am not an expert - this is just what is working for me and I'm super pleased with it.  The TKO oil is pricey, but it is safe to use and if you don't like the results you can use it for other things.

OK, that is just my opinion, 

but it has been so wonderful for me

I have to share this!

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is by far one of the best things to ever hit the furniture painting world.  You don't have to sand or do much prep - you just paint with ASCP and finish it with wax.  The results are so, so pretty.  Here is an example of a china cabinet I recently finished  with it.  You can see the full post here.

The paint does take some adjusting to because its covers a little differently and it can dry out on your brush.  You will adjust to that fairly quickly, though.  The wax, however, is another story.  For me, the learning curve on waxing has been a big one - especially the dark wax.  Let me explain - when you paint a piece it will look something like this (paint color:  Old White):

For some pieces, this is great.  You just wax with 2 coats of clear, and you are finished.  However, sometimes you want to bring out the ornamentation and details of a piece, so you use a dark wax for your 2nd coat.  Supposedly you can thin the dark down with clear wax if it is too dark, or you can use clear wax on a rag to wipe off whatever dark wax you don't want.  On some furniture this seems to work fine.  Others, not so much.  Unfortunately, regardless of how many tutorials I read or watched, my china hutch was waaaay too dark and streaky for what I was after.  Even after wiping and wiping and wiping with clear wax on my rag - I still got this (This is Old White with dark wax):

Uuuugh!  After so much work - this really discouraged me.  I tried every technique  I found, but felt like my only option was to repaint over the wax (which is something you can do with chalk paint) - but then what?  Plus, I've had this issue on other pieces.  In desperation, I decided to start trying things to see if I could come up with something that worked for me and gave me more control.  

You know what?

I found something 

and it works amazing!!!

I get this oil at my local health food store.  It has many, many great uses.

I found that by using a tiny amount of TKO, an orange cleaning oil, I could greatly control my dark wax.   

I simply tipped the bottle onto my rag covered finger tip and immediately began lightly, lightly rubbing over the dark wax in long streaks.

Here you can see how easily it rubs off on the rag.

This oil is not cheap at $24.95, but you will not use very much.  In fact, it is a fraction of the cost when you compare this technique with using the clear wax (which didn't work for me anyway and it is $30 a can), plus this is a natural, nice-smelling product.

Can you see where I gently rubbed off some of the dark wax?

Bonus:  it doesn't matter if you wait weeks before you apply the oil - it still works.  Another bonus:  your piece will also have an amazing smooth feel without the tackiness you can get with waxing.  And fyi - there is still plenty of wax on the piece to protect it, but you could add another clear coat, if you like.

I removed some of the dark wax on the upper right corner in this picture.

If you have been frustrated with dark waxing, perhaps this will be the answer for you, too.  I can't even begin to tell you how pleased I am with this TKO oil.  

Lavender Tub Tip:  Pour some of the orange oil into a smaller bottle to work with.  You'll be very unhappy with yourself if you knock over a full bottle.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Update:  Since I posted this tip, I have since tried mixing the dark wax with the TKO oil 1:1.  I love how it smooths on and wipes off of a piece.