How to Stain Kitchen Cabinets With Blue Edging

Update the look of your kitchen with fresh cabinet stain.

In the 1980s and 1990s, a popular kitchen cabinet style was blue edging. Through the decades, styles have changed and the blue edging accents on kitchen cabinets are no longer as popular. To update your kitchen cabinets, use kitchen cabinet stain to cover both your existing cabinet color as well as the blue edging accents. Staining cabinets will freshen up the look of your kitchen without the cost associated with a full kitchen remodel.

Things You'll Need

• Paint thinner
• Paint brush
• Nylon abrasive pads
• Paper shop towels
• Soap
• Water
• Stain

Instructions

1. Brush some paint thinner on your kitchen cabinets to remove the blue edging and the existing stain. Blue edging is painted on kitchen cabinets, so it easily removes with paint thinner. Let the paint thinner sit until it dries and then examine the color.

2. Reapply paint thinner as needed to remove all of the previous stain. As you apply more paint thinner, scrub the cabinets with nylon abrasive pads to remove all of the previous paint, stain and blue edging color.

3. Wipe the stain on the kitchen cabinets with paper shop towels as you continue scrubbing.

4. Clean the face of your kitchen cabinets with soap and water to make sure you remove all of the previous stain particles.

5. Allow the wood to dry completely.

6. Determine the color of stain you wish to have on your cabinets, and re-stain them to the shade you prefer. Apply the stain with a paintbrush, and apply it in the same direction as the grain of the wood. Add additional coats of stain until your kitchen cabinets are the color you desire.

References

• Wood Answers: Applying Lighter Stain over Darker Stain
• The Stucco Company: Need to Have Stain Come Out Lighter