Cleaning oak table

[Joe Shmoe]

My oak table is grubby, I think it must be finished with some kind of oil as when I rub it with baby wipes etc, it gives off a yellowish/brown smudge

What's the best way to sand it down and then finish it again?

k

 

[Mike Jordan]

I suggest that you clean off as much of the existing finish as possible using white spirit before sanding by hand or using a RO sander.
Refinish with two coats of spirit based Matt or satin varnish, if you are happy with the appearance, then furniture wax would be a good idea.
The great advantage of solid oak is that you can always have another go if necessary.
I did mine about two years ago after about 25 years of use.