How to Lighten Dark Wood Furniture?

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Lighten Dark Wood Furniture

Hiring a carpenter means spending a lot of bucks at once. Sometimes, you have to fix your old and favorite furniture, but you don’t have enough money. In such a case, you need to know some methods so that you can do it yourself. The most common question people ask regarding home decoration nowadays is how to lighten dark wood furniture? There are bunches of ways you can lighten the color of your furniture yourself. But the most effective one has some criteria for the best result. Today, we are describing a way to fix the color of your old furniture at home.

Things that You Need

You need to gather some quality equipment to finish or lightening job with ease. Here, we are giving a basic list of essentials. You can buy some more if you want for your comfort to work.

  • A pair of gloves
  • Apron
  • Safety goggles
  • Two or three medium brushes
  • Airless Paint Sprayer (if you don’t want to use brushes)
  • Sander or sandpaper
  • Waste clothes
  • Sponges
  • Scrapper
  • 2 part bleach solution
  • White vinegar
  • Finish
  • Enough amount of water

Step by Step Guide to Lighten Wooden Furniture

We are discussing a method that takes almost a couple of days. You have to patient to get your desired result. We are telling you each step with the necessary information below.

Prepare the surface

First of all, you have to make the surface clean where you are going to lighten the color. You can use wet clothes or brushes to clean the whole surface well. If the surface contains any knobs, screws, handles, you have to detach them. Otherwise, you need to cover them with paper or cloth.

Prepare Yourself Now

Now it is time to get ready. You have to wear your safety equipment so that you don’t get hurt. Remember, the chemicals you are using in this method are pretty harmful to your health.

Use Stripper on the Surface

Take a brush or sprayer. Cover the surface with at least one coat of finish stripper. Make sure the coat has covered the entire area. After using the finish stripper, let the surface stay in a dry and cool place for almost half an hour.

Remove the Finish

After waiting for the stripper to get dry, you have to take off the old finish from the surface. Take the scrapper and put it on the surface. Put some extra pressure while you are ripping off the layer of the old finish. After that, use a cloth to clean the surface again.

Prepare the Bleach Mixture

In this step, you need to have the best 2 part bleach solution of the market. Take a large bowl or bucket. Pour both solutions in the container in the same amount. Stir solutions well for two or three minutes to create a good mixture.

Put Coats of the Bleach Mixture on the Surface

Take a fresh brush and use it to put a few thin coats of the bleach mixture on the surface. You have to take some time while covering the whole surface with the mixture. After finishing this task, you have to leave the surface in a dry place for nearly 45 minutes.

Prepare an Acidic Solution

Now, you have to take another container. You have to fill the container with an equal amount of water and white vinegar. Stir this mixture well for a few minutes.

Apply the Acidic Solution on the Bleach mixture

You need to collect a fresh and clean sponge. Dip the sponge in the acidic solution. You should remember to use hand gloves in this step. After dipping, rub the sponge on the whole surface well.

Wipe out Both Solutions

Take a clean cloth and make it wet with mineral water. Wipe the surface using this cloth to remove the remaining solutions left on the surface. After wiping, put the surface in a cool and dry place for at least 12 hours.

Make the Surface Smooth

After waiting for almost half a day, you have to check the color of the surface. If you find the surface lighter and eligible, you have to start rubbing the surface with sandpaper. But when you see the color is still a bit darker, follow step five to step nine again until you get the desired light color.

Give the Finishing Touch

After all those steps, your wooden surface is almost ready. Take a quality wood finish from the market. Use a clean brush or cloth to put an eligible coat of finish. Here, you have to make sure that the coat of finish is smooth and even on every place of the surface. After putting the coat, wait for another few hours for the surface to get dry. After that, your surface is fully ready.

Conclusion

We have discussed a method of lightening the color of wood, which is quite effective in any case. But this method takes some time. You have to be enough patient here. You also need to make sure you are safe while using any chemicals or elements mentioned above. That is why we insist you wear goggles, gloves, and apron every time you use any solution. We hope you have understood every step and apply the method successfully.

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