Need help with mildew

[yukionna]

Attached is a close-up photo of one of two oak "shelves" that are in the back of the Bambi II sofas. Each shelf has two brackets which are used to secure the back of the sofa in an upright position when it is set-up as a sofa. Both shelves are under a window which must have had some leakage in the past. The problem I'm having is removing what looks like mildew deep in the pores of the wood. I have tried various grits of sandpaper (starting under 100) to no avail. I was planning on restoring the finish with stain or Watco oil. Any ideas or pointers would be much appreciated.

[thenewkid64]

Bleach on a cloth mixed with water 50/50 will clear this up. We had the same trouble with window sills in our home in WI. The bleach will kill all the mold as well as return the wood to a like new color. If the wood is currently stained with a color you may lose that and have to re-stain.

Wet the cloth, and blot at the wood. Keep a bucket of clear water and a clean towel for rinsing. You may need to blot and let it sit for a while to work into the pores.