Easiest Way To Strip Furniture – Detailed instructions on how to clean furniture with pipe cleaners for a beautiful untreated wood finish!
Achieving the perfect beautiful surface for raw wood furniture can be achieved in many ways… but it all starts with removing the old paint. You can remove furniture physically, by sanding, or chemically using furniture remover. Today I’m going to teach you how to chemically remove wood furniture using oven cleaner.
Easiest Way To Strip Furniture
Note: As always, safety first! When cleaning furniture with chemical cleaners, read the product instructions carefully. and follow all recommended safety precautions
Paint Remover For Wood
Before I give you step-by-step instructions on how to remove furniture with pipe cleaners, I want to say a few things about removing furniture in general. There are oven cleaning FAQs at the end of this post.
I get this question often that others like: What do you use to peel furniture? What is the easiest way to remove furniture? What is the easiest way to remove varnish from wood? And so on…
Sometimes it’s best to sand with the palm of your hand or an oscillating sander, especially if the furniture is made of real solid wood and the surfaces are smooth. On the other hand, if there is a superficial wrinkle or very intricate carving, it is probably best to dry-clean the furniture. Here is a chemical removal method that I have used time and time again. If the piece is painted, paint remover is probably your best bet.
However, if the piece is solid wood and has some curves or carvings…especially if you’re trying to get that raw wood look, pipe cleaners can be a great solution.
How To Strip Furniture With Less Work • Craving Some Creativity
Sometimes the combination makes sense. In the picture below, I sanded the doors and sides of this antique cabinet with medium-grit sandpaper (bottom) and removed the decorative carvings (top) with a pipe cleaner.
Many cleaners can remove polyurethane or varnish, but a stain covered with a protective top coat can be difficult to remove. I think this is my favorite thing about the oven cleaning method: it not only removes the top coat, but also removes the old paint stains from the wood, leaving it raw, more natural.
I have had no success using oven cleaner to remove paint, but I have had success removing various varnishes, oils, and polishes from vintage and antique furniture.
However, most furniture stripping projects are like chemistry experiments: sometimes they involve trial and error to remove the finish (especially if you don’t know exactly what the finish is in the first place), so be prepared for that.
How To Strip And Bleach Previously Stained Wood Furniture
The oven cleaning method is best used on solid wood. It will not work on manufactured wood (eg mdf). Although it can be used on wood veneer, I would not recommend it as it can damage the wood veneer.
While furniture has to be soaked in oven cleaner, plywood often bubbles or warps. I used it on a piece that had small pieces of veneer in the drawer and it didn’t damage them, although I did have to remove some of the tape.
I hope this new technique helps you bring beautiful wood grain to your next furniture project! Whether you want to paint a piece of furniture or keep it natural, you’ll need to remove the finish. If you’re wondering how to paint furniture, this post is for you! Removing furniture is a dirty job, but there are a few ways you can restore your beautiful furniture. Anyone can complete these projects with a little patience, and I’ll discuss which method is best for your furniture.
You can remove the finish by sanding the piece of furniture, but we’re going to cover some chemicals like Citristrip, SmartStrip, and Easy-Off, yes, oven cleaner, to remove the finish! Once you know what type of wood you are working with, you can decide which furniture remover to use. I’ll be the first to admit… not all furniture is created equal. Some finishes can be easily removed with Citristrip, while others require more strength. Let’s dive in and discuss the various solutions and methods used to remove furniture.
How To Strip Wood Furniture
Simply put, furniture stripping is the removal of the finish from wooden furniture. Every piece of furniture is different and some finishes are difficult to match. If you plan to leave the furniture natural and paint it, you will most likely need to remove the original finish. If you already have a natural piece of furniture but want to lighten or bleach it, go through my furniture bleaching methods.
When I started with furniture, I had a beautiful Pottery Barn dresser and two nightstands. I blindly bought a Citristrip and started removing the trim. I tell you, I was hooked. One of my favorite parts of my job is removing the finish to reveal the beautiful wood underneath. This isn’t always the case and I’ve found a lot of chipboards in the past, but when you find a nice chipboard it’s like a reward after a long treasure hunt!
The first thing to consider is what kind of wooden furniture you are dealing with. If the piece is fake wood, like an Ikea piece, you won’t get good results when cleaning the furniture. If you have solid wood underneath you should be fine.
Check the piece for surface burrs, as some solutions damage the plywood. You can remove pieces of plywood, but you need to be careful and use the right removers. Removing the plywood is always an option, but remember that plywood is often used to mask the ugly, mismatched wood that makes up the piece. You won’t like what you find!
Easy Bleached Wood Furniture
There are many other methods of removing furniture, but these are the most commonly used in our homes. I will discuss the methods used to remove finish from furniture. I am often asked, “What is your favorite method?” True…I can’t really answer because sometimes I like a solution and then I use it on another piece of furniture and it doesn’t work either. It’s trial and error! I have to try a few different methods before I find one that I like.
Be sure to follow each product’s safety instructions and inserts before proceeding. Some require special safety measures and you need to ensure proper protection when working with the following products.
Citristrip is one of the most popular products and for good reason it works really well. I said there, it’s a good option, but sometimes it’s not enough. It’s a great product to start with because it’s less harmful and less toxic. Citristrip is easy to apply, just apply a layer with a brush and leave for 15-30 minutes. You can cover it with saran wrap to keep it soaking longer and prevent it from drying out.
Sometimes you can just remove the saran wrap and the surface will seal with Citristrip. You can remove the rest with a scraper. You can reapply until you have removed the entire surface. Citristrip is also available in cans and can be sprayed on furniture. I prefer to use Citristrip on furniture that is solid wood and has a thick top coat or paint. If you want to remove color, this product is for you!
Stripping Furniture With Oven Cleaner
This method is suitable for removing old finishing materials such as shellac, varnish and various types of varnish. This method does not increase the grain of the wood. I have had great success using this method on dated furniture with quality plywood. It is gentle on the veneer without damaging this thin layer of outer wood. To use this method, place Minwax Furniture Refinisher in a bowl and apply a thin layer of steel wool to the furniture. You draw it in small circles and the old surface slowly melts before your eyes! I find that when it melts, the finish settles in other areas, so I have to keep moving and reapplying. You can use mineral spirits to clean, but I got the best results by gently sanding the rest of the surface.
This method of stripping is similar to Citristrip, only with more chemicals and not as “clean” as other methods. According to Clean-Strip, it removes five layers of paint in 15 minutes. As with Citristrip, you want to avoid dryness when applying this product. Adding saran wrap or plastic wrap will help. So how do you use this product? Just apply a layer of cleanser
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