Simply Lighten  Stained Wood  +3 Helpful Tools

Before I discovered these helpful tips I wanted to quit, light the coffee table on fire, and move on. But after I found these tips I was able to finish this project and now I love our coffee table!

Before

After

Apply stripper

01

The first thing I did was apply the stripper and let it set for the suggested mount of time. Mine required 15-20 minutes.

Clean stripper off

02

I took mineral spirits and steel wool and scrubbed the stripper off.  I used a heavier grit steel wool first and then switched to a fine grit.

Sand the piece

03

After the stripper is cleaned up, the next thing you’ll do is sand the piece of furniture. I used 80 grit for this project.

Wipe off wood pieces

04

I used the straight pick, a rag, and a tack cloth to get most of the particles off the coffee table.

Apply household bleach

05

Move the piece to an area where the sun can also help aid in the process of lighting the piece of furniture.

Sand again

06

Sanding the piece of furniture with 220 grit or higher sandpaper to make it smooth again because bleach can make it feel rough.

Apply oil or top coat

07

I used a natural finish danish oil for a couple of reasons: I bleached the wood and so I wanted to rehydrate it, and also because it is a natural finish.

White wax

08

Because the danish oil made the wood a little bit darker than I hoped I decided to use a white wax for my top coat.

Head to the link below to watch a detailed step-by-step tutorial on the process I used to get a natural wood finish.

3 Helpful Tools -Orbital sander -Gator sanding block -Straight pick (toothpick) *BONUS TIP* Work in small sections For more helpful tips head over to the full tutorial!

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Aliya Arnold