How to Refinish Whitewashed Kitchen Cabinets
The finish of your kitchen cabinets set the overall look and feel of your kitchen. Often, because they are regularly exposed to moisture, grease and heat, your kitchen cabinets will take on a dull appearance over time. They can be revitalized by refinishing them. Refinishing your whitewashed kitchen cabinets is a project that requires time and patience but restores your kitchen's look to its original beauty. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Stain
- Chemical stripper
- Sanding sealer
- Brushes
- Cloths
- 120-grit sandpaper
- 220-grit sandpaper
- Steel wool
- Screwdriver
- Putty knife
- Polyurethane
Instructions
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1
Remove all hardware from the kitchen cabinets with a screwdriver, including hinges, handles and knobs.
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2
Brush a heavy coat of chemical stripper onto the surface of the cabinets and let it sit for the amount of time recommended by the manufacturer. Once the whitewash finish begins to bubble and peel, it is ready to be removed.
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3
Scrape the whitewash finish from the surface of the cabinets with the putty knife. Scrub the cabinets with steel wool to remove hard-to-reach or stubborn spots of the whitewash finish.
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4
Sand the cabinets with 120-grit sandpaper to completely clean the wood of the old finish and chemical stripper. Sand again with 220-grit sandpaper to smooth the wood surface of the cabinets.
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5
Brush a coat of sanding sealer onto the kitchen cabinets to ensure the wood absorbs the new finish evenly. Allow the sealer to dry.
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6
Wipe on a coat of stain with a clean cloth in long, even motions. Allow the stain to absorb into the wood and then wipe the excess stain off with another clean cloth. Apply more coats of stain to darken the final finish.
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7
Brush a thin coat of polyurethane onto the cabinets. After the initial coat dries, sand lightly with the 220-grit sandpaper and apply another coat. This will protect the cabinets from moisture.
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Tips & Warnings
Sand and brush with the grain of the wood. Dip the steel wool in the chemical stripper to make removing the whitewash finish easier.
Keep your work area ventilated. Wear protection on your hands and eyes when refinishing wood.
