How to Restore Furniture Finish

Hot oatmeal or tea can steam the finish off your kitchen or coffee table faster than you can say "Cream, please." Get rid of milky rings and a lackluster finish with a few steps.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Furniture Stain Stripper
• Polyurethane Finish
• Stain Or Paint
• Very Fine Steel Wool
• Medium-coarse Steel Wool
• Metal Or Plastic Scraper
• Paintbrush
• Plastic Tarp Or Old Sheet
• Very Fine Steel Wool
• Tack Cloth
• Respiratory Mask

For light to moderate damage

1. Place a plastic tarp or an old sheet beneath the furniture item.

2. Sand the discolored area(s) with very fine steel wool until smooth.

3. Clean off surface dust particles using a tack cloth.

4. Apply stain or paint (matching your furniture color) with a paintbrush.

5. Let it dry.

6. Repeat stain or paint applications until the color matches.

7. Apply polyurethane finish if needed.

For heavy damage

8. Lay tarp or other surface cover on the floor of a well-ventilated room or area. Place the furniture piece in the center.

9. Wearing a respiratory mask, spray furniture stain stripper over the entire area to be stripped.

10. Let it penetrate for 15 minutes (or follow the time directed on the spray can).

11. Scrape off softened finish using a metal or plastic scraper, taking care to remove only the finish and none of the wood.

12. Using medium-coarse steel wool (dipped in water if needed for ease of use), clean away any leftover finish.

13. Wipe clean and dry with a tack cloth.

14. Apply stain or paint (matching your furniture color) with a paintbrush.

15. Let it dry.

16. Repeat stain or paint applications until the color matches.

17. Apply polyurethane finish if needed.

Tips & Warnings

• Apply light coats and let the furniture dry thoroughly between coats.
• If the entire piece needs refinishing, it may be easier to strip the finish down to bare wood using a furniture-stripping solution.