How to Bleach Wood Furniture

1. Prepare Work Area

   Work only in a well ventilated area. Working outside in the sunlight accelerates the bleaching action, plus it helps the wood dry out faster between coats. Lay down plastic below the wood furniture.

2.  Protect Yourself

   From paint strippers to bleaching agents, the ingredients used for bleaching wood furniture are toxic. Wear latex or latex-substitute waterproof gloves, eye protection, and breathing protection.

3. Remove Paint and Coatings From Furniture

   Paint, stain, and other coatings on the wood act as barriers that prevent the bleaching agent from lightening the wood. Instead of using toxic paint strippers, try removing the paint with non-toxic, less caustic citrus- or soy-based natural paint strippers or by scraping the wood while using a heat gun.

4. Sand Furniture

   Sand the furniture thoroughly with 120 grit sandpaper to remove all coatings. Embedded stains and paints that were not removed by the paint stripper must be removed by sanding.

5. Clean Off Wood Dust

   Clean the wood dust from the furniture with tack cloth.

6. Prepare Bleaching Solution

   • Laundry bleach: Use laundry bleach at full strength, undiluted. Pour into a glass or plastic container, not a metal container.
   • Oxalic acid: Dissolve 12 ounces of oxalic acid in 1 gallon of hot water. For smaller quantities, dissolve 3 ounces of oxalic acid in 32 ounces of hot water. Stir well since clumps of oxalic acid will lighten the wood in blotches.
   • Two-part bleaches: In a glass or plastic container, mix one part of sodium hydroxide (Part A) to three parts of hydrogen peroxide (Part B). Do not add water.
   • Lye & hydrogen peroxide: Mix equal parts lye and hydrogen peroxide in a plastic container. The solution may create some bubbling.

7. Apply Bleaching Solution

   Apply the bleaching solution to the furniture in a single coat. Avoid overlapping. Keep the brush continually moving. Apply the solution evenly across the entire piece. Do not apply more in one section than in other sections. On vertical surfaces, start at the bottom and work upward.

8. Apply Rinse

   • Laundry bleach and oxalic acid: Use a sponge to apply a solution of one part white vinegar and one part cool water to neutralize the solution between coats.
   • Two-part bleaches or lye solution: Using a sponge, rinse with cool water between coats.

9. Apply Multiple Coats

   Apply multiple coats of bleaching agent, interspersed with neutralizer or rinse, to achieve the level of desired wood lightness. Laundry bleach may require five or more coats to begin to lighten the wood.

   Tip

   It's important to space out the bleach-rinse-dry cycles to allow the wood to fully dry between each cycle. This allows the bleaching agents to work properly, plus you can better judge the progress of the lightening.

10. Sand Wood

    Sand a final time with 120-grit paper, then switch to a finer grit, such as 220-grit sandpaper.

    Avoid deep sanding after bleaching the wood as this removes the bleached wood cells and takes the surface back down to darker layers of wood.

When to Call a Professional

Cedar, chestnut, elm, redwood, and rosewood are difficult to bleach. Call a professional woodworker for help with lightening these wood species.

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