How To Make Wood Stain Lighter

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Wood stain that's besides nighttime tin affect the entire appearance of a piece of furniture or room. Luckily, there are ways that yous can lighten the color until you're happy with it. The near effective way to lighten the colour of your stain is bleaching the wood with chemicals. Steel wool and mineral spirits can lighten your forest stain by a small amount if you don't need to adjust the color much. Otherwise, if you have stain in the can that'southward too dark, y'all tin can dilute it to alter the color before applying it.

1
Apply finish stripper to the woods you want to lighten and permit it sit for 20 minutes. Piece of work in a well-ventilated area so you lot don't breathe in whatsoever harmful fumes, and wearable safety spectacles and gloves to protect yourself. Dip a 2 in (v.1 cm) paintbrush with natural bristles into the finish stripper and paint information technology onto the wood that you're lightening. Make sure you become even coverage of the area and then information technology can strip the woods completely. Leave the stripper on the surface for twenty minutes so it has time to ready.^[i]
- If you're bleaching a forest flooring, then y'all can use chemic stripper or use a sander.
ii
Scrape off the finish from the wood with a plastic scraper. Hold the scraper at a 45-degree angle to the slice of forest and apply a firm corporeality of pressure to lift up the erstwhile cease. Piece of work forth with the grain of the wood so you don't scratch it or leave noticeable marks on the wood. Go along scraping the wood surface until you remove all of the old end.^[2]
- Fix out a drib cloth nether your workstation and so you lot can easily collect all of the sometime finish and throw it abroad.
- Scraping your cease off may also remove some of the stain on the woods.
Tip: Moisture the woods and check if information technology changes color evenly. If there is a spot that's lighter or darker than the balance of the wood, there may nevertheless be some stop left on it.

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3
Mix together your wood bleach solution. When you want to bleach your wood, you lot can either employ oxalic acid for a mild handling or a two-part wood bleach solution for a stronger treatment. Article of clothing your safety spectacles and gloves when you mix the bleach so you don't get any irritation. If yous're using oxalic acid, mix the crystals in water following the directions on the bundle. If yous're using 2-part bleach, then pour equal amounts of both parts of the bleach in a small bowl and stir them together.^[3]
- Oxalic acrid lightens the stain slightly and works all-time on naturally light wood.
- A 2-part bleach solution removes nigh of the colour, and it likewise can lighten the natural color of dark wood.
- Both types of bleach volition work on either oil-based or water-based stain.
- You lot tin can buy wood bleach and oxalic acrid from hardware or home improvement stores.
4
Spread the bleach mixture onto your wood. Use a ii in (5.one cm) paintbrush to apply a sparse coat of the bleach onto the wood. Brand sure you get a sparse awarding beyond the entire surface of the wood so information technology lightens evenly. After you put the bleach on, permit it set for about 30 minutes and so it tin can alter the color of the wood and stain.^[iv]
- If yous're applying the bleach to a wood floor, then use a mop to spread the bleach solution across the surface.
v
Neutralize the bleach with a white vinegar solution after 30 minutes. Combine equal portions of white vinegar and warm water in a large bowl or bucket, and stir it together. Dip a cleaning cloth in the solution and wring information technology out to remove the excess liquid. Wipe the forest surface with the vinegar solution to stop the reaction and prevent the stain from getting any lighter.^[v]
- You tin can neutralize the bleach at whatsoever time whenever you're happy with the color.
half dozen
Wipe the wood clean with a wet textile. Wet some other cleaning cloth under your faucet with the warmest water possible. Wring out the excess liquid and and then wipe your slice of wood clean. Exist certain to make clean every expanse to remove any bleach or vinegar that'due south still on the surface.^[6]
- If you're working on a wood floor, and so use a mop with clean h2o to rinse the flooring.
7
Let the forest dry out overnight before judging the colour. Get out the wood in a absurd, dry place so the h2o can evaporate and so you can come across the terminal colour of the stain. Check the wood the next day to see if you lot're happy with its color. If not, employ some other bleach handling on the wood the same way and check on it the adjacent 24-hour interval to run across if it'due south lightened whatever more.^[7]
- Simply use 2-three bleach treatments on your wood since the colour of the wood may start to expect slow or grey.
8

Sand the wood with 180-dust sandpaper. When you use a bleach treatment on forest, it removes some of the grain material, so sanding information technology will assist level out your wood piece. Utilize a house amount of pressure with 180-grit sandpaper in the aforementioned management as the wood grain so you lot don't see any scratches. Keep using the sandpaper until the slice of wood is smooth to the bear on.^[8]
9
Utilize a new finish to the wood to seal it. Look for a polyurethane cease for your wood, and stir information technology thoroughly to mix it. Apply a two in (5.ane cm) paintbrush with natural bristles to paint a thin coat of the polyurethane on the wood, following the direction of the wood grain. After you lot spread the polyurethane out, pull your paintbrush over the area again in long strokes to remove any bubbling or uneven awarding.^[9]
- Don't shake the tin of polyurethane since it could grade air bubbling on your wood and ruin the cease.

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i
Rub steel wool confronting the woods in the same direction equally the grain. Moisture a piece of 0000 steel wool nether warm water and wring out any backlog liquid. Apply light pressure level to the wood that you're trying to lighten and work in long dorsum and forth strokes in the direction of the grain. Be careful not to overlap the strips you rub with the steel wool since you could remove also much stain or material. The steel wool will scrape away minor amounts of the stain and finish to lighten the woods.^[ten]
- But apply super fine (0000) or extra fine (000) steel wool since you lot could remove likewise much material with coarse steel wool.
Warning: Don't rub against the grain since y'all'll be able to run into scratches in the wood.
2
Wipe the wood with mineral spirits to help elevator the forest stain. Put on safety glasses and gloves before handling mineral spirits since it could cause skin or middle irritation. Wet a shop cloth with the mineral spirits and wipe along the grain of your woods to lift up some of the stain. You will notice the wood getting slightly lighter than the rest of the stain. Go along wiping the area and change cloths if the offset ane gets too dirty.^[11]
- Piece of work in a well-ventilated area since mineral spirits tin can create harmful vapors.
- Let the shop cloths dry completely earlier throwing them abroad since they could be a fire hazard.
- Steel wool and mineral spirits piece of work best on oil-based stain, but information technology may work a little on water-based stain.
3
Alternate between the steel wool and mineral spirits until yous're happy with the colour. Switch back to the steel wool and rub it gently over the woods surface again. Subsequently using the steel wool, wipe the expanse with mineral spirits over again to remove some of the stain and lighten the color. Keep working until yous're satisfied with the wood's color. Give the wood a final wipe with a clean cloth to remove any excess mineral spirits.^[12]
- Mineral spirits and steel wool volition merely slightly lighten the color of your stain, so it may take multiple applications to find any changes.

1
Get "natural" forest stain that has the same base of operations as the stain you're lightening. Natural wood stain is a transparent medium yous can mix in with standard stain to brand it thinner and lighten the color. Check the stain that you already have to run across if it's oil- or h2o-based and then you know what type of natural stain to purchase. Get the same amount of natural stain as the 1 y'all already have then you're able to mix equal amounts.^[13]
- If yous can't discover natural wood stain, you can also use mineral spirits for oil-based stains or h2o if information technology'due south water-based.
2
Combine equal parts of the stain you want lighter and natural wood stain. Utilise an empty paint tin can or another sealable metal container to mix your stain. Cascade equal amounts of your stain and the natural stain into the container and mix it together with a paint stirrer. Continue stirring the stain together until it'southward thoroughly combined or else it may announced spotty.^[fourteen]
- You tin can buy empty paint cans from hardware stores or online.
3
Exam the stain on a scrap piece of wood to run across the color. Dip the finish of a paintbrush into the stain you merely mixed and wipe off any excess on the rim of the paint can. Spread the stain on a scrap piece of wood that's the same type you plan on staining subsequently, and rub it into the wood with a store material. Wipe whatsoever excess stain off of the woods, and look at the color of the stain compared to the natural woods to meet if you're happy with how light it is.^[15]
- The color when y'all first add the stain may be unlike than when it's completely dry out. Let information technology sit overnight so y'all can come across what the wood looks similar once information technology's dry.
Tip: Apply the original stain colour on the forest next to the stain you have already diluted. That fashion, you tin can directly compare them to come across how much y'all've lightened it.
four
Mix in more natural stain if you want the colour lighter. If you yet want to make your stain lighter, add ¹⁄₂ loving cup (120 ml) of natural stain at a time and stir it together with your stir stick until information technology's thoroughly mixed. Test the color of the stain on your slice of bit wood to see how it looks, and continue mixing if you need to. Otherwise, put the lid on the tin can and so you tin can use it after.^[sixteen]
- Keep track of how much natural stain you add so you can replicate the aforementioned color in the future.
- If your stain gets too low-cal, add another ^ane⁄_four – ¹⁄_ii loving cup (59–118 ml) of the original.

Add New Question

Question

Can I sand abroad dark woods stain?

Crystal Chadwick is a Licensed General Contractor and the Owner of Yin & Yang Construction out of Salt Lake City, Utah. With over 16 years of experience in the construction industry, she specializes in remodels, repairs, and handyman services. Crystal leads her team with vision and a item-oriented approach, assuasive them to provide quality piece of work and pattern to their clients.

Licensed General Contractor

Expert Answer

Yes—you could sand the forest all the fashion down to the blank wood underneath the stain then re-stain information technology with a lighter color.
Question

How do yous lighten a wood stain without sanding the wood?

This answer was written by ane of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Use a furniture refinisher to dissolve the stain and scrub it abroad with a chip of steel wool. Although it even so involves some scrubbing, this approach is less damaging to the surface of the forest than sanding.
Question

Can yous lighten gel stain?

This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Unfortunately, gel stains are fairly difficult to lighten. Earlier the gel dries, you can scrub the surface with mineral spirits to lighten the stain. Once the finish has hardened, yous can remove it past sanding it down.

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Y'all can try sanding the stain with 120-grit sandpaper to remove it and reapply the stain.

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Work in a well-ventilated area when working with mineral spirits or bleach since it tin can create harmful vapors.
Article of clothing prophylactic glasses and gloves while handling potent chemicals since they can crusade irritation.

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Things You'll Need

Finish stripper
Paintbrush
Safety glasses
Gloves
Plastic scraper
Oxalic acid or ii-part wood bleach
Sponge
White vinegar
Cleaning cloth
180-grit sandpaper
Polyurethane end

0000 steel wool
Safety glasses
Gloves
Shop material
Mineral spirits

Natural wood stain
Wood stain
Measuring cups
Pigment can
Stir stick
Paintbrush
Flake wood

Virtually This Article

Commodity Summary X

You lot can lighten dark woods stain using wood bleach. Showtime yous'll need to remove the old finish on the woods using cease stripper. Use the stripper to the woods using a paintbrush and let it sit for twenty minutes. Then, utilise a plastic scraper to scrape off all of the quondam finish. Once that's done, gear up a forest bleach solution and apply information technology to the woods using a paintbrush. After 30 minutes, wipe down the wood with equal parts white vinegar and water to neutralize the bleach. Go over the wood again with a damp fabric, then permit it sit down overnight. Finally, sand the surface with 180-grit sandpaper to smooth information technology out and apply a polyurethane cease to seal it.

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