How to Bleach Wood Furniture
Natural wood tones are my JAM! I love the light, raw and restored look. You can use this 'look' in any design style. Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn have got NOTHING on us because I am about to show and tell you (in a few simple steps) how I refinished my husband's childhood oak dresser to look like a pricey piece from RH or Pottery Barn!
Supplies
1. All purpose house hold cleaner & old rag to wipe down the wood.
2. Rubber gloves, plastic & rag for spills.
3. Striping Agent - I like THIS ONE because it's safe to use indoors.
4. Paint brush or sponge to apply stripper with.
5. Putty knife, I like THIS metal one.
6. OPTIONAL: Metal utility brush for those hard to get places or pieces with decorative designs that you can't get to with a putty knife.
7. OPTIONAL: Sand Paper, to get the wood even more raw.
8. Household Bleach & rag to apply it with.
9. Sponge for wiping wood down at the end.
1. Clean your wood piece, pull drawers out & remove hardware
2. Clean your furniture with any household cleaner
3. Apply stripper (heavily) with a sponge or brush - repeat as needed
Do this in thick heavy strokes, especially in areas where the stain/wood tone seems darker. Let it sit for 20 minutes to 2 hours. I was impatient and started scraping after 20 minutes which I REGRET. If you let it sit for 2 hours, you have way less work ahead of you. Repeat this at least one more time if you feel like you did not get your desired look.
NOTE: Our dresser was only a sealed natural, oak wood - to get that red tone out, we had to repeat the process twice AND SAND.
OPTIONAL: Sand to even further remove the current wood tone.
4. Scrape (OPTIONAL: THEN SAND)
Use your metal putty knife to scrape off whatever the stripper lifted up for you - this is totally therapeutic. Go with the grain of the wood. I was not gentle with this..PUSH down and get rough with it because it gives you that beat up-rustic look.
