There are actual wood bleaches out there, but I found that my regular old house hold
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.
All you need to get that white bleached look without any bleach is white wax. If you wax your furniture with white wax, you can get that same look without any harmful chemicals. Make sure you use a wood finishing wax that is made for this purpose.
Good ol' clorox can can remove the stain color of wood but cannot effectively change the color of darker woods. Regular household bleach can work well with already lighter colored wood.
After a minute or two, you should be able to see the stain fading. If you're bleaching out an old stain, wipe the bleach off with a damp cloth when the stain has lightened.
I worked outside and put on my gloves and poured a little bleach on a clean rag and wiped it on. I did the whole piece and let it sit for about 20 minutes in the sun and then put another coat on. Let that sit for another 20 mins and added another coat and let that sit overnight.
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.
One of the simplest ways to age wood quickly is to apply a paste of baking soda and water, let it dry in the sun, and scrub and wipe it away. Aging wood with baking soda leaches the dark tannins away, resulting in a partially bleached, weatherworn look, similar to a barn or driftwood.
Hydrogen peroxide is a great solution for bleaching wood. But, it may not be suitable for all tree species. When used on oak, the wood may turn a shade of green. Bleaching is done using a 30% solution.
Wood Brightener does 3 things for your deck: It neutralizes any remaining stain stripper or wood cleaner. It restores and brightens wood to its natural, bare state. It opens the pores of the wood.
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.
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.
To lighten already-applied wood stain, first try turpentine, mineral spirits or household bleach. Apply firmly and evenly along the grain.
The use of bleach can cause several types of discolorations on both bare and finished wood. If the wood is bare, any discolorations that may appear can usually be corrected either chemically or by physically removing the discolored wood.
White washing is simply mixing white paint and water to lighten wood. The more paint you add to your mixture, the less opaque the finished look will be. So, if you're looking to just lighten your wood without covering the wood grain, then use mostly water with a few drops of paint.
The natural pH of wood is slightly acidic, and bleach is a basic solution. As a result, use of bleach on wood shifts the pH from near neutral pH to a basic pH that will damage the cellular structure.
Household chlorine bleach will lighten wood somewhat, but will not remove the wood's natural color. It will, however, remove the greenish gray coloring that is common in poplar, returning it to a more natural wood color. Chlorine bleach may also remove some stains or discoloration in the wood.
But only one will remove the natural color from wood: a two-part wood bleach of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) and hydrogen peroxide. Other wood bleaches are chlorine bleach and oxalic acid. Chlorine bleach, which is like ordinary laundry bleach, will remove dye color from wood, but not the wood's natural color.
How does vinegar darken wood? Vinegar causes steel wool to oxidize, or basically rust. That rust “dyes” the vinegar. Then, that vinegar reacts with the color of the wood that you apply it to, giving it a new, deeper color.