Stripping and Staining Furniture

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Pouring furniture stripper onto a mirror to remove the finish.
Applying wood stain to a stripped and sanded mirror.

This mirror update is a perfect small project to demonstrate the basic steps I use when stripping and staining furniture. Before getting started, I remove the mirror and backing from the frame. Working with just the frame makes the whole process much easier.

Step 1 – stripping off the existing finish

Okay, let’s start! The existing factory finish on this mirror was a faux-painted finish with about 4 coats of paint. When dealing with removing a painted finish, I will always test for lead first. Even when I don’t think it will be an issue, I will still check (I’ve been surprised before). I use these quick testing swabs, but there are a number of similar products out there. As suspected, this one was lead-free so I could move onto removing the finish.

Generally, there are two options for removing the finish, sanding or stripping. Because of all of the curves and angles on this mirror, sanding was not a great option. So I decided that stripping was the way to go. If you want to learn more about eco-friendly furniture strippers, check out this review article I wrote, green DIY furniture strippers compared. I chose Green-EZ for this project because it performs well and I had some on hand.

Here are the steps I take using GreenEZ:

  1. With protective gloves on shake the stripper well and then pour it onto the surface. Using a chip brush, spread it evenly on the surface, keeping it relatively thick. Then let it sit for 45 minutes or so. If it starts to dry out, try and start removing it, or add a little more to reactivate the product. You don’t want to let it dry out or it won’t come off easily.
  2. Taking a plastic scraper, remove as much as possible, then follow with a small wire brush and or some fine-grade steel wool. If it is difficult to remove the finish, take off what you can and do a second round of stripper.

Step 2 – cleaning and sanding

  1. Once you have removed most of the existing finish, follow with the finishing cleaner. Spray, let sit for a few minutes, and then wipe back with paper towels or shop towels. You can also use some steel wood to scrub during this step as well. Once satisfied that the surface is clean, use warm soapy water as a final cleaning step to remove any residue from the stripper and finishing cleaner. Then let everything dry.
  2. Next is sanding. There may be little bits in some corners or crevices that need to be hand-sanded. The rest should be sanded smooth working up to 220 grit. The surface should be smooth and free of any residue before moving onto staining. Any unevenness will show up when you stain.

Step 3 – staining and sealing

Now onto the fun part! While I knew exactly what color I wanted to use on this mirror, if you’re not sure, try out a couple of different colors in small sections that will be easy to sand back. Different woods will take stain colors differently so it’s important to make sure you like what you’re using before committing to the entire piece! Here’s how I applied the stain and sealer to the mirror:

  1. After sanding, wipe off all of the dust using either a microfiber cloth or a tack cloth.
  2. Before staining, I’ll always use a pre-stain wood conditioner. This helps reduce splotchiness when staining. Simply apply with a cloth, let soak in, and wipe back excess.
  3. After waiting the recommended amount of time for the conditioner, I applied the Varathane oil-based stain in the color Early American. Working in sections, use a chip brush to liberally apply, then wipe back excess. Wait for the stain to dry, and repeat if a darker finish is desired. I did two coats on this mirror.
  4. Time to seal it up! I used my favorite oil-based polyurethane, this wipe on poly. Simply apply and wipe back immediately. I did 4 coats on this mirror, sanding lightly between coats with a ultrafine sanding pad.
Completed finish of a freshly stripped and stained piece of furniture.

And that’s it! I know it’s a smaller project, but these steps can be applied any time you are stripping and staining furniture. It can be a labor-intensive process but the end result is worth it. Let me know if you have any questions! And be sure to check out my other refinishing tips here.

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