Our woodworkers would recommend a mild treatment for beginners. This involves sanding the wood stains with a 120- grit sandpaper [1] to peel it off and then reapplying the stain. This process will result in a light color on the darker stain on your wood.
Because stains penetrate the surface, it's impossible to apply a lighter stain over it. The original stain has to be removed. In order to remove a wood stain, the surface has to be sanded repeatedly until the original stain is completely removed.
If you try to apply a light color of stain over the top of an existing dark finish, you won't notice much difference. To completely alter the color of the finish, strip down the existing stain using a petroleum-based solvent. Once you've lightened the wood, you may add a lighter color of stain.
The only effective way to lighten the color of wood after it has been stripped of all surface coatings is to use a wood bleach. Sanding does help to lighten wood in many cases, but this only applies to surface soil or grime, and even then only if the discoloration has not penetrated very deeply.
For pieces where you have a dark finish and want to go lighter, you will need to remove the existing finish first. Then, determine what undertone your wood has and counteract it with an appropriate stain color. For pieces that are a light finish, and you want to go darker, you can simply apply a darker stain!
Short answer: yes, household bleach will lighten wood. However, it's not the only option. Household bleach will remove leftover dye from wood, but it won't actually change the wood color itself. For my project, I only had regular bleach on hand.
Using a brush, spread a thin coat of the bleach solution on the surface of the furniture. It is best to apply the bleach along the wood grain. Make sure to cover the entire surface and let it sit for approximately 30 minutes so it can turn dark wood lighter.
How To Lighten Wood Stain? To lighten already-applied wood stain, first try turpentine, mineral spirits or household bleach. Apply firmly and evenly along the grain.
Oxalic acid lightens the stain slightly and works best on naturally light woods. A 2-part bleach solution removes most of the color, and it also can lighten the natural color of dark wood. Both types of bleach will work on either oil-based or water-based stain.
Using most gel stains, you can darken wood furniture, or stay the same color, without sanding off the old stain. But, I usually use General Finishes Gel Stain because the finish always looks beautiful. Don't forget to Save or Share these steps for how to stain wood without sanding.
If you try to use a lighter shade over a previous stain that is darker, it wont make a difference. Or, it may even appear darker after it's dried.
Removal is Not Always Necessary
In some cases, you can get away with leaving the previous coat as it is, as long as you perform the other necessary preparation steps, such as sanding and power washing.
PolyShades stain and polyurethane also allows you to easily change the color of your currently stained or varnished wood without stripping. Over old varnish you can change the color without removing the old finish or hiding the grain.
Lay a brightly patterned runner across a wood dresser or table. Opt for bold bedding or wall art in a bedroom outfitted with wood furniture. Table lamps, vases, and planters in a rainbow of colors can also help cheer up dark wood furniture.
Stains lighten as they dry, then return to their damp color when a finish is applied. So the quick method of seeing the color you'll get with the finish applied is to look at the stain while it is still damp. If you're using a satin or flat finish, however, you need to factor in the impact of the flatting agent.
There are a few different ways to dull a finish. You could use a variety of sandpapers in combination with polishing compound, or you could take the finish off and apply a matte, satin, or semi-gloss finish.
Water-based finishes, which are acrylics, give the wood no color nor do they darken as they age. They work well on lighter woods such as maple, birch or pine. If finishing a darker wood, such as walnut, mahogany or cherry, then one of the other finishes such as shellac or lacquer is better.
The new stain you are applying over the old stain should be compatible. For instance, if it's an oil-based stain, apply another oil-based stain. If it's a water-based stain, apply another water-based stain. Incompatible stains can lead to poor adhesion or blotchy and uneven finish.
Apply a second coat of stain after the first has dried fully. This will usually produce a slightly darker coloring with the excess wiped off. Substitute a glaze or gel stain for the liquid stain. Glazes and gel stains usually contain a higher ratio of pigment to vehicle.
I've found a mixture of 50:50 vinegar to water does the job. When neutralizing oxalic acid, you can use household baking soda mixed with water. Lightly sand after bleaching and neutralizing the wood.