How To Remove Charcoal Stains From Wood

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If you're updating your hardwood floors or refinishing a furniture, you may demand to remove former wood stain from the woods first. Removing woods stain can be tricky, since it absorbs into the grain of the woods and dyes it a different color. Fortunately, you can significantly reduce the advent of wood stain past using a stain stripper and sandpaper. When you're finished, the color of the wood should look well-nigh the same equally it was before it was stained.

1. 1

   Piece of work in a well-ventilated area. Stain strippers comprise harsh chemicals that are dangerous to utilize in closed-off spaces. Piece of work outside if possible.^[1] If you lot can't work exterior, 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.^[2]

2. 2

   Lay downwardly a tarp nether the surface area you'll exist working in. Stain stripper can harm the floor if it gets on it. If you don't have a tarp, lay down newspaper or an one-time sheet instead.^[3]

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3. 3

   Article of clothing protective gear while y'all're working with the stain stripper. Put on safety goggles and chemical-resistant gloves.^[4] Article of clothing a long sleeve shirt, long pants, and airtight-toe shoes. You don't want any stain stripper getting on your skin.^[5]

   • Read the manufacturer's instructions on your stain stripper for recommendations on which chemical-resistant gloves you lot should use. And so, visit your local hardware shop or store online for gloves fabricated out of the recommended fabric.^{[half dozen]}

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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 metallic basin to concord the stain stripper. Be careful every bit yous're pouring it so you don't become any on your clothes or the floor.^{[7] [viii]}

   • Don't employ a plastic container—the stripper will melt through information technology.^[9]

2. 2

   Utilise a thick layer of the stain stripper to the wood using a paintbrush. Dip the paintbrush in the container of stain stripper so information technology's fully soaked.^[ten] 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 glaze of stain stripper is fifty-fifty and thick.^[11]

   • If you're working on a large piece of article of furniture, it may be easier to strip the stain off one role of the article of furniture first, every bit opposed to doing it all at in one case.

3. 3

   Allow the stain stripper sit down for xv-20 minutes and reapply as necessary. Cheque on the stain stripper every few minutes while you're waiting for it to work.^[12] If you lot 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 yous're waiting for it to work.^[xiii]

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

4. four

   Use a plastic scraper to scrape off the stain stripper into a trash bin. Starting at the edge of the woods 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 border and then you tin can push the scraped-off stain stripper into it. Then, bring the scraper back to the edge yous started at and echo in a dissimilar spot. Go along until all the stain stripper has been scraped off the surface of the woods.^[14]

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

5. five

   Dip a steel-wool pad in the stain stripper and wipe downwards the surface of the wood. Follow the direction of the grain equally 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.^[15]

6. 6

   Wipe downwards the surface of the forest with a rag and h2o. This will remove any leftover stain stripper on the forest. Information technology's important that you lot become off all the leftover residue or you lot could have a hard time sanding the wood subsequently on.^[xvi]

7. 7

   Permit the woods dry for 24 hours. The wood needs to be completely dry before you sand it. If you try to sand information technology early, the sandpaper volition quickly get clogged with the wet woods.^[17]

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1. 1

   Sand the surface of the wood with a medium-grit sandpaper. Place the coarse side of the sandpaper confront downwardly on the surface of the forest and sand in a back and forth motility. Continue sanding until you've gone over the entire surface of the woods. Equally you sand, you should find the color of the stain fading abroad equally the raw wood beneath information technology is exposed.^[18]

   • Medium-dust sandpaper has a grit of 100-150.^[19]

2. 2

   Smooth the surface of the wood using a fine-grit sandpaper. Fine-grit sandpaper will become rid of whatsoever scratches acquired by the medium-grit sandpaper you used. Go over the surface of the wood with the sandpaper using a back and forth motion until yous've sanded the whole surface.^[20]

   • Fine dust 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 sail of sandpaper beyond the surface of the wood. As yous sand the wood with the random orbital spinner, you should run into the woods stain first to fade abroad.^[21]

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

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Things You'll Demand

• Tarp
• Goggles
• Chemical-resistant gloves
• Metal container
• Stain stripper
• Paintbrush
• Plastic scraper
• Steel-wool pad
• Rag
• Medium-dust sandpaper
• Fine-grit sandpaper
• Random orbital spinner.

About This Commodity

Article Summary X

To remove wood stain, start by using a paintbrush to apply a thick layer of stain stripper to the woods. Then, let information technology sit for 20 minutes, reapplying the stain stripper every few minutes to any spots that await dry. After 20 minutes, scrape information technology off with a plastic scraper, and wipe down the wood with a steel-wool pad dipped in the stripper. Next, wipe with a damp rag to remove any remaining stripper. Finally, let the wood dry for 24 hours before sanding off the stain with medium-grit sandpaper. To learn more, including how to sand off hard-to-remove wood stain, read on!

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Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Wood-Stain

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