I’ve never thought about people soaking wood with Pledge, but can see where it could be a disaster, especially on the delicate scroll work of a plywood speaker grille. Pledge contains soap and water, and an excess amount could separate the glued laminations, not to mention what it would do if the finish is shellac. The soap and water in Pledge is mainly there to prevent a wax buildup, but it also does a certain amount of cleaning. This is why I use it to clean out the inside of a dirty radio cabinet.

Pledge can be used generously as a cleaner if it is wiped with a paper towel before it has a chance to soak in very much. Just don’t get carried away and try to clean out a filthy cabinet in one application. After each application except the last one, the paper towel will be dirty. When the paper towel comes away clean, then the inside of the radio cabinet is also clean. Most of my radios are shown in contests, and cleanliness is one of the first things a good judge will look for.

For paper towels, use Viva. Don’t even try anything else. They are as soft as a dusting cloth, absorb more, and tough enough to squeeze out and use again. I often use them instead of rags, and have even squeezed thinned paint through them when a strainer was not available.