How to Remove Wood Stain

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Three Parts:Organizing Your MaterialsApplying the Stain StripperSanding off the StainCommunity Q&A

If you're updating your hardwood floors or refinishing a piece of furniture, you may need to remove old wood stain from the wood first. Removing wood stain can be tricky, since it absorbs into the grain of the wood and dyes it a different color. Fortunately, you can significantly reduce the appearance of wood stain by using a stain stripper and sandpaper. When you're finished, the color of the wood should look nearly the same as it was before it was stained.

Steps

Part 1

Organizing Your Materials

1. 1

   Work in a well-ventilated area.

   Stain strippers contain harsh chemicals that are dangerous to use in closed-off spaces. Work outside if possible. If you can’t work outside, work in a garage with the garage door open, or open all the windows in the room you’ll be working in. Set up a box fan near a window to help blow fumes out of the room.

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2. 2

   Lay down a tarp under the area you’ll be working in.

   Stain stripper can damage the floor if it gets on it. If you don’t have a tarp, lay down newspaper or an old sheet instead.

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3. 3

   Wear protective gear while you’re working with the stain stripper.

   Put on safety goggles and chemical-resistant gloves. Wear a long sleeve shirt, long pants, and closed-toe shoes. You don’t want any stain stripper getting on your skin.

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   • Read the manufacturer's instructions on your stain stripper for recommendations on which chemical-resistant gloves you should use. Then, visit your local hardware store or shop online for gloves made out of the recommended material.^[4]

Part 2

Applying the Stain Stripper

1. 1

   Fill up a metal container with stain stripper.

   You can find a stain stripper designed specifically for removing wood stain online or at your local hardware store. Use a disposable aluminum pan or a metal bowl to hold the stain stripper. Be careful as you’re pouring it so you don’t get any on your clothes or the floor.

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2. 2

   Apply a thick layer of the stain stripper to the wood using a paintbrush.

   Dip the paintbrush in the container of stain stripper so it’s fully soaked. Then, carefully brush it across the surface of the wood you want to remove stain from until the entire surface is covered. Make sure the coat of stain stripper is even and thick.

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   • If you’re working on a large piece of furniture, it may be easier to strip the stain off one part of the furniture first, as opposed to doing it all at once.

3. 3

   Let the stain stripper sit for 15-20 minutes and reapply as necessary.

   Check on the stain stripper every few minutes while you’re waiting for it to work. If you notice any spots that look dry, apply more stain stripper to those areas with the paint brush. It’s important that the stain stripper doesn’t dry out while you’re waiting for it to work.

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   • Read the label on your stain stripper for specific timing instructions.

4. 4

   Use a plastic scraper to scrape off the stain stripper into a trash bin.

   Starting at the edge of the wood surface, gently push the scraper across the surface of the wood in a straight line. When you reach the other side of the wood, hold a trash bin under the edge so you can push the scraped-off stain stripper into it. Then, bring the scraper back to the edge you started at and repeat in a different spot. Continue until all the stain stripper has been scraped off the surface of the wood.

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   • Avoid using a metal scraper with a sharp edge or you could damage the surface of the wood.

5. 5

   Dip a steel-wool pad in the stain stripper and wipe down the surface of the wood.

   Follow the direction of the grain as you’re bringing the steel wool back and forth over the surface of the wood. Make sure you go over any nooks and crannies in the wood with the steel wool.

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6. 6

   Wipe down the surface of the wood with a rag and water.

   This will remove any leftover stain stripper on the wood. It’s important that you get off all the leftover residue or you could have a hard time sanding the wood later on.

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7. 7

   Let the wood dry for 24 hours.

   The wood needs to be completely dry before you sand it. If you try to sand it early, the sandpaper will quickly get clogged with the wet wood.

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Part 3

Sanding off the Stain

1. 1

   Sand the surface of the wood with a medium-grit sandpaper.

   Place the coarse side of the sandpaper face down on the surface of the wood and sand in a back and forth motion. Continue sanding until you’ve gone over the entire surface of the wood. As you sand, you should notice the color of the stain fading away as the raw wood beneath it is exposed.

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   • Medium-grit sandpaper has a grit of 100-150.^[13]

2. 2

   Smooth the surface of the wood using a fine-grit sandpaper.

   Fine-grit sandpaper will get rid of any scratches caused by the medium-grit sandpaper you used. Go over the surface of the wood with the sandpaper using a back and forth motion until you’ve sanded the whole surface.

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   • Fine grit sandpaper has a grit of 180-220.

3. 3

   Use a random orbital spinner to sand off hard-to-remove wood stain.

   A random orbital spinner is an electronic sanding device that is more effective at removing layers of stained wood than regular sanding. Load the device with a sheet of medium-grit sandpaper designed specifically for use in a random orbital spinner. Then, plug the device in and bring the spinning sheet of sandpaper across the surface of the wood. As you sand the wood with the random orbital spinner, you should see the wood stain start to fade away.

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   • You can get a random orbital spinner online or at your local hardware store.

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