Stripping Stain using the Oven Cleaner Method
Do you remember when I shared my vintage finds from a few weekends ago? They included two candlesticks that I assume are from the 70s. For some reason, they reminded me of Bewitched and something that Samantha would have in her house. ???? I love them because they are large and would look really cool on my fireplace mantel. I didn’t, however, love the color of stain. They were a lot more orange in person that the photos. I thought about painting them white. And then I remembered seeing people stripping stain off of old items using the oven clean method. And thought these would be the perfect items to try this type of stripping method. It wouldn’t hurt them, and if it did, I wasn’t out much money. Or I could eventually paint them.
Here is how I did it!
Stripping Stain using the Oven Cleaner Method
I have stripped SO MANY pieces of furniture in my lifetime. It’s what I did for entertainment on the weekends when I was in my late teens and early 20s. I bet that sounds like fun to a lot of you. ???? You are probably thinking, “Wow.. she was a big ball of fun.” I had to fill up my first home that I bought with furniture. LOTS of my weekends consisted of hanging out at auctions and attending garage sales. And then stripping my treasures to give them a complete makeover. So my obsession with flipping furniture and creating a completely new look goes way back.
I found and stripped a china hutch bottom one weekend. It is still, to this day, one of my favorite pieces. Maybe it is the story behind it that I love so much.
OK, back to the oven cleaner. I sprayed the oven cleaner on these candlesticks and let them set for probably a good hour. I sprayed it on fairly heavy giving them a good coat. I then gave it a quick spray with the garden hose and used a scrub brush to get the stain and varnish off of them. And then sprayed them one last time to clean them off. After they dried, I noticed there was a bit of stain left, so I repeated the process again. They are not perfect because I could have scrubbed a bit more, but I was removing the last coat in the dark. You know… since it gets dark by 5:30 these days. ????
Will I used the oven cleaner method again to remove stain?
ABSOLUTELY. Using the oven cleaner method worked SO WELL and so quick. It seemed like such less mess. I know a larger piece of furniture would take so much longer, but I think being able to spray it on helped. A piece of furniture with a lot of details would be so much simpler, too. I have a few more pieces in mind to strip using the oven cleaner method so stay tuned for that. I REALLY want to strip this piece that we use as our liquor cabinet because it has an orange tone to it. That is also a piece with a great story, so check out that post as well.
I love the raw wood look. What do you think? Let me know if you try this method of stripping stain.
Other sources from this post: Christmas tree / Pillow / Throw / Tray / Candles
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When you strip items with the oven cleaner do you end up using something on those pieces to protect them after they’ve dried or do you just leave them plain?
This is the first thing I did. If it were a table top, I would probably have to seal it. But not for these candlesticks.
What kind of scrub brush did you use?
Can you use oven cleaner to remove paint? Or just stain? I have an old bed with several layers of old paint which are very stubborn.
I heard you can use it for paint but I never have. It is worth a try.
Can you stain over the stripped furniture after?
Some cleaning projects look much easier than they actually are, especially when you’re trying to remove an old stain without damaging the surface underneath. I’ve learned from my own experience that the cleaner you choose can make a huge difference, so I always check how it’s meant to be used first. That’s why I’m careful when choosing chemical products for tougher jobs around the house.