Bleaching to Lighten Wood & Remove Stain

Introduction 

Restoring wood furniture takes time and patience, but the results of your labor can be enjoyed for years, even generations. The restoration process usually involves stripping off old finishes, bleaching, staining and then varnishing. Two-Part Hydrogen Peroxide is a strong bleach that will lighten wood and remove previously applied finish stain, providing you with a fresh new surface to refinish. Once you have stripped the old varnish and paint from a piece of furniture (see tutorial on chemically stripping wood), you will most likely encounter stains in the wood surface that should be removed before applying a new finish. Bleaching is a good technique for getting out these stains. However, different types of stains require different bleaching techniques. Choose the tutorial that best addresses your needs.

Type of Stain 

Ink stains, stains caused by chemical refinishers 
To lighten wood and remove old stain 
Dark rings and black spots, usually caused by water 

Tutorial 

Bleaching furniture with mild bleach 
Bleaching furniture with two-part hydrogen peroxide (this tutorial) 
Bleaching furniture with oxalic acid 

STEPS 

1. Start with a piece of furniture that is bare wood and place it on a drop cloth to protect the ground or floor. To remove an existing finish, refer to the tutorial on chemically stripping furniture. 

2. Place your project piece on a drop cloth for protection and sand the wood thoroughly to remove oil and debris left from the finish removing process. Be sure to sand in the direction of the wood grain. 

3. Then remove sanding dust by brushing with a clean, dry paintbrush. Paying particular attention to the joints and detail areas. Then rub a tack cloth over the entire surface to clean off all the wood dust. 

4. To mix and apply the bleach, carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions listed on the carton or containers. Some brands instruct you to mix a solution of unequal amounts from bottle A and bottle B. Other brands instruct you to apply each separately to the wood surface. Apply with a sponge on flat areas and use a paintbrush to get the bleach into the seams, joints and detail areas. 

5. Also follow the manufacturer’s instructions for neutralizing the bleach and cleaning the bleach from the wood. 

6. After you have neutralized the bleach according to their directions, use a sponge to apply a vinegar wash to ensure that all the bleach is neutralized. 

7. Follow this by using a sponge to rinse the surface with water. Don’t allow too much water or neutralizing agent to saturate the wood. 

8. Allow the wood to dry completely, which will take about two days. 

9. When the furniture piece is thoroughly dry, gently sand it with extra fine grit sandpaper - 280-grit should do the job. 

10. Brush off the sanding dust with a clean, dry paintbrush, especially in the joints and detail areas. Then rub a tack cloth over the entire surface to remove all of the dust. 

Now you are ready for our tutorials on stains, topcoats, varnishes! 

SHOP LIST 

Materials List 

Two-part Hydrogen Peroxide (sold in paint stores) 
Plastic Pail of Hot Water 
Vinyl or Rubber Gloves 
Plastic or wood stir stick 
Rags 
Plastic Pail of Rinse Water 2 Sponges 
Extra Fine (280) Grit Sandpaper 

Tools List 

Safety Glasses 
Mixing Container 
Sturdy Drop Cloth 
Dust Mask 
Tack Cloth 
Paintbrush

Ted's Woodworking - Guide eBook

2 comments:

  1. To remove stain and marks from wooden floors we are using different types of vanishing and chemical formulas. It is really tough to maintain our wood flooring and to deal with maintenance and repair issues we should take the help of professionals. I would like to pick some of the important points from this article regarding removing stains from wooden floors; thanks for such wonderful tips.
    Haro wood flooring

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  2. Bleaching wood furniture provides an eye-catching look though it is time consuming. It is also a better option to the complete replacement, which helps in saving some pennies. Through bleaching, stains get disappeared from the furniture. However, different kinds of marks need different bleaching methods. The post here contains few techniques, which are worth reading. If we carelessly want to bleach the materials without following any method, then our whole effort will go in vain and also, it may affect our valuable furniture.
    Wood Flooring

    ReplyDelete