Of course I found this video after spending an entire evening scraping 40yr old varnish off my cabinets! I will be ready next time with my oven cleaner! Thank you so much for this video!
I recently decided to take on the laborious task of sanding my pine skirting boards and door frames with a view to staining them a different colour. I have pine boards all through my home, so I'd have been sanding forever! You just made my life so much easier with this hack! Thank you for changing the game. You're a pure legend! ❤
I must have watched 30 Furniture Stripping Videos to find this one but I'm so glad I persevered! Other stripping videos are all 90% the same but they each have one good nugget of new info. This, sir, is pure gold! You kept it short and got straight to the point with none of the showing off. Hats off to you my friend!
Also, I've just read all the comments. You're a really nice guy! Although it might be worth putting a FAQ in the video description. You keep getting asked the same questions over and over.
thanks for taking the time to comment. when I am trying to get info on TH-cam on how to repair things I really dont have time for all that talking I just want to know how to get it done. I hope your project goes well.
thanks for the laugh...if you have TRIED in earnest to use that HOT MESS in a container, I so can relate. It should come with a woodworker's caution printed on the label. NOT intended for use on any project worth finishing.
Thank you! My first attempt at refinishing coffee table. Been sanding for 2 days. Came to look what I needed to remove varnish and there you were! Thanks again!!!! ❤
OMG!!! I don't know why I didn't think off it my self!!!!!! I use ESSY OFF on every think else!!! That would save me a lot time and money on all the products I tried (CITRUS, LIQUEUR REMOVAL, PAINT THINNER, SANDING......) THANK YOU SO MUCH
I’ve owned my house for 17 years, HATE my kitchen cabinets, been looking at them for many years just discouraged at all the work it would take to do this!! I’m gonna try your technique this week!! Thank you soooo much
You've just made my first project happen! I was dreading the sanding process of a restoration I am planning to do. I did a search for easy methods to remove varnish and up you popped! Thanks
This is exactly what I was looking for! I have some old trim that I'm reusing that has varnish on it in grooves, and I'm going to have my husband pick up the oven cleaner and try it today. Thank you so so much for the information. Nothing I have in the way of sanding blocks or tools we'll be able to get in the grooves, so I'm hoping this oven cleaner works like it looks like it did for you. Thank you immensely!
Genius!!!!! I was stuck with a bathroom vanity that is varnished and absolutely nothing would do my wife until I painted it. Well I painted it (under severe objection) with the oil base paint that she went and bought. She wanted no sanding. Naturally it was a catastrophe!! THEN I saw this.. I stripped the whole damn thing and painted it. Happy wife, happy life. Thank you!!!
THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH !!! I'm JUST starting to refinish a BUNCH of antique's and was DREADING all those little beautiful nooks and crannies !! Now I know a MUCH faster and EASIER way to restore them THANKS TO YOU !! This job is going to be a PLEASURE now !! I love restoring old furniture to make it "new" again but it is really labor intensive for sure !! A true labor of love !! I'll take the old furniture ANY day over the new stuff. Sooooo much more craftmanship and CHARACTER !! You've got a new subscriber !! Thanks again !!
This is really cool! I'm definitely going to do this on a few projects. I also love the part about having crabs, crawfish, and lobsters still in the cracks...
You're a Godsent! I couldn't get the lacquer off an LVP plank from a project gone wrong. I searched far and wide and tried everything to prevent replacing the floor planks. Your trick did it! A million thanks for this [easy] video!
You're the one I've been waiting and searching for! I should have found this video before I started stripping and sanding the furniture. I had to redo the paint I've done which I'm not so happy about and which I have coated many many times with finishing so it makes me so lazy to think about doing the same labour all over again. But - this makes it look so much easier. Thank you for sharing. I'll do that project before the holiday comes.
Wow and here I was going to do a 3 day project...... Mine are a dark finish so I'll see.... Thanks so much for doing this video if the dark comes off ....... YOU THE MAN lol
Thanks for this hack! I would have never thought of oven cleaner to strip the profiles of door panels. I'm going to try it out tomorrow on a 100 year old door with lots of varnish in those panel profiles.
@@firemelon7296 Yes, it really got the old varnish off and out of the ridges very well, and fast, too. I used a wooden kebab stick to get the softened varnish gunk out of the profile ridges, and that was a good plan. Wiping down with old cloth, to avoid smearing it around. But, it caused a minor staining of the wood where the oven cleaner touched it.... I decided to hose the door down with the pressure washer and a fan type nozzle. After it dried, it looked normal again. So all in all, it was a success. I think that removal of really old varnish or paint should be done slowly...meaning letting the wood rest a few days between process steps involving chemicals, to make sure they either evaporated completely, or when washed off, to dry the wood grain perfectly. I then sanded it a few times more with fine grid paper, and it turned out beautiful! Now treating it with tung oil varnish.
I’ll give this a try in future projects. I think it’s worth mentioning that you should have good ventilation trying this method. You don’t want to be breathing in the oven cleaner fumes and the byproducts of its reaction with the varnish/paint.
I bought a Victorian house last year and it has a beautiful wooden staircase. But someone had painted it with wood effect paint, don't ask why. Any way i have tried 3 advertised best seller paint strippers and they did not touch it. Just watched this video and decided to try it out. What a result, within 20 minutes i just wiped it off. The thought of hand scraping and sanding for weeks to strip it was getting me down every time i went up and down the stairs. Please except a huge thank you for you video.
Thank you so much! We bought a house and the finish of the doors is awful! Have no money to replace and want to keep the wood color instead of painting white. You just gave me hope! 😊
Hi AM I was wondering if you tried this idea with the oven cleaner, my husband and I just recently purchased a home too, the finish on the woodwork is horrendous and we have sanded our fingers to the bone. 😢 I hope I hear back from you Take good care, will looking forward to hearing from you.
@@cindyisbell2650 Hi Cindy, I didn't try. In my area is hard to open the windows (either too cold or too hot), so, I was concerned because of fumes (because even product without smell releases gases). I am considering using an electric sander to sand gently, my doors don't have any detail, what makes it "easier".
Hey AM, I am going to show this technique to my husband and see what he thinks, if we try this and have success I will let you know. Thanks for replying back. Have a great day.:-)
Long story, i can't thank you enough. Wee tip if i may to some (as i found out), i found that after i left it for 20 minutes stuff just sat there, but i believe in my case the oven cleaner Mr. Muscle acted as a softner cause when i scrubbed it off with a wet course sponge it came off in seconds. Many many thanks.
OH MY GOSH!!!!! I am so grateful for this video! Ive been wanting to paint my doors, door frames and baseboards but was feeling dread from dealing with the sanding dust. You have saved me!!!! Thank you so so so very much!!!! Going to Dollar Tree for oven cleaner TODAY. Want to get my house as pretty as Id like before my baby makes his appearance.
Thank you so much! I was dreading having to sand all the trim and doors in my kid's bedroom after a fire. So going to try this out! Great video too, short and to the point!
This works been doing it for years also works on paint stripped a painted shelf I used it on down to the bare wood beats the hell out of trying to sand it off
Amazing! I've been thinking for a long time how to strip the varnish from the front door without strip it or sanding it, this technique is unique and cost almost nothing, thanks
I'm willing to try this as I have a door with 6 window panels, bit I'm wondering if I can use the oven cleaner on the whole door? I would imagine so but wanted to know your thoughts. Thanks!
Lol! Mike, where were you all this time? This is amazing. I’m trying this on the hand rails in the living room stairs. We’ve been wanting to paint them for years. Thank you!
Oven cleaner is lye in a spray can. Lye does not touch oil paint, but works great on water based finishes. So if the varnish is waterborne poly, yes. But oil poly, this should not work.
Wow, excellent video. I’ve tried proper wax/stain remover but it’s not as good as using methylated spirits and a rag. But the oven cleaner spray looks to be a game changer. So going forward I shall try this. Many thanks.
You are prepping to paint the doors. Consider that there is no need to remove the old varnish. Method: 1. Clean thoroughly 2. Fill as needed and sand smooth 3. Apply 2 thin coats of shellac based primer, let dry 2 hrs between coats. I was doing 24 doors and all door and window casings so I used a HVLP sprayer to apply. 4. Sand smooth, it will feel like glass 5. Now you are all prepped for painting. You will never have a bleed through of the prior stain by using this method. I went from dark walnut stain to BM Simply White. A lot of work but it it transformed the home.
Hi Larry, yes it would work, but it can get messy in a large area and I would take great care in protecting the baseboards from over spray. because oven cleaner also eats through paint.
Genius. Can't wait to try as whole house, doors, bannisters, rails, skirting board all covered in varnish and is going to take years to remove using nitromors.
well a couple of reasons , 1st there are 4 doors in this hallway close to each other and looked rather dark. 2nd, I was selling my home and wanted to brighten the hallway up by painting them white . it looked great when I was done and the paint really accentuated the the detail in the doors.
Thank you for this great idea. My only question/concern is if this will damage or weaken the wood in any way. I am working on refinishing a mast to my sail boat. I can not risk damage to the wooden or weakening since it will take a lot of stress and needs to keep its' integrity. Any information you may have will be helpful.
Hi Michelle, With this technique it only removes the old finish from the surface and does not penetrate the wood, but then again, I am just some guy on TH-cam. best of luck to you in your travels on the open 🌊.
I despise my bathroom cabinets. We have lived in our house since 2007. I have held off on doing anything with them due to the pain it’ll be. I’m gonna try this!
Awesome!! I can easily remove the spindles on my stairs so I can set up in the garage for ventilation. Really didn't want to prime and paint over them. I want clear coat of poly once I get them cleaned so it will match my gorgeous banister. My home is 131 years old. Painting the risers but really wanted that contrast of wood against the ultra white. Fingers crossed this turns out like I'm anticipating.
Thanks for the video… Will this work on my hardwood floors? I have polyurethane/wood stain in the corners and in spots the edger stander couldn’t get… or rather that it gummed up every piece of sandpaper🙄
Oh man, I have been looking for something to strip the old varnish off square balusters and handrail. I'll let you know if it works. I've got about 30 of them and will definitely do it outside, maybe even a fan blowing across. THANKS!!!
@@susankelly3136 Ahh, haven't done it yet. Putting off the task, not wanting to get involved since we found out our grandkids are moving out of state in a month. Don't want to waste our time with house remodel while they're still here. I'll let you know. Thanks!
So after you wiped the oven cleaner off and repainted, did you notice any bleed-through or adhesion issues, or did you use a stain blocking primer and then paint? Thanks.
sanded flat areas with 120 grit sand paper, used 00 steel wool for intricate or hard to reach areas. stain blocker primer, and 2 coats paint. Sanding b4 priming closes wood pores to reduce bleed through and gives a smooth surface.
We are currently removing polyurethane from windowsills. It’s a pain in the ass I have to sand everything. I’ve even sanded my fingertips raw. Hopefully your video will have some tips
Oh man I know what your going through. hang in there! you will enjoy the results, and this technique should allow you time to get your finger prints back.
Hi I couldn't see if you have answered this question already so sorry if it's a repeat.. Do know the brand or the active ingredients in the oven cleaner as I am in the UK and want to find the right one. Thanks
Hi, these are all the ingredients. Water, Butane, Sodium Hydroxide, Dipropylene Glycol Propyl Ether, Ethanolamine, Benzyl Alcohol, Smectite Clay, Paraffin Wax, Fragrance. Professional EASY-OFF® Heavy Duty Oven & Grill Cleaner
I wondered that immediately. It would probably remove more finish, but not absorb nearly as much, so going behind with a damp rag and then a dry rag would be good. Fine steel wool so you don't scratch it all up.
I’ve seen in you videos not to use steel wool if you are using a water based finish because you might not remove all the steel wool and then the remaining bits will rust. So, I’m thinking that you using a wet rag as a rinse could have the same problem.
I did this technique for staining also, and I was pleased with the results. I do recommend after removing varnish to let the wood dry out for 24-48 hours b4 applying on stain. Hope your project goes well!
@@2mikeherzog thanks for the reply. im refinishing a banister, risers, and some crown in a home with awfully heavily alligatoring poly. it looks like its covered in rhinestones lol.
@@adamzaloga9679 ah man that's a big job. This technique should save your shoulders and arms but remember to watch out for over spray. and do a test on a bottom riser. Good luck and I'm sure your project will turn out great!
Did it occur to you to use an oil primer after either a scuff sand or a TSP wash? Heck scuff sand and tsp wash - 19X faster and perhaps in some ways better than going back down to bare wood. As removing that finish will also remove that micro thin veneer of wood that has hardened up over the past century and better able to resist knocks and dents
thank you for offering other methods of how to complete this project. the purpose of this video was to show another way of skinning a cat . as you know, there are many ways to accomplish this. This method is just one of those ways.
Just a quick note - be careful with the oven cleaner as it could turn the wood a very dark stained color. I tried this on some oak and wherever the cleaner touched, the wood turned black. Be sure to rinse very well.
Yes, you are right, and it might affect different types of wood in different ways. Mine turned maybe two shades where it had contact with the cleaner. I water pressure washed it off. After it dried, that effect was gone. Wheeehhhh! LOL. Pressure washing is a good plan, as the water molecules get shot at the wood and don't have time to soak in. Drying it took little time, actually. I wanted the wood to stay natural, no paint afterwards, so this would matter. If some person paints it over, it wouldn't be an issue, I guess.
This is great it works wonders on chalk paint too saved a pile of time on the sanding it's a little toxic I also gave it a little sanding after. A useful TH-cam video
Tried to find the answer in the comments but no luck, so I’m sorry if this is a repeat question... What brand of oven cleaner do you use or does it matter?
yes if it is clear polyurethane your removing. I would do a small testing by taping off a indescete area and see the results. steps usually have multiple coats so you may want to leave the oven spray on there for 3 -5 minutes. good luck.
great video. im also intending on painting my varnished doors white. does it still need stripping or can i put a white primer over it then paint it the final colour,
There are some tables in a rec room that were ruined by the chemicals they used for COVID to clean them I just wanted it easier fix than sanding the whole thing down and all that! I think this might work perfect.. 👍
I wonder if this would work on a wooden picture frame I have. I bought it at a consignment shop. The frame is heavy and nice and it's a shame that the clear coat or whatever it is has come off in a few areas. The stain underneath is nice. Right now I'm looking for solutions so I might try the oven cleaner.
This looks amazing and am going to try with a dining table I have. Can I ask, in the UK skirting boards are usually painted white. Would this work with stripping paint from wood? Thanks.
yes it will work on paint but it depending on how many coats there are and you have to leave the oven cleaner on longer and apply a thicker coat of spray. You might consider using a heat gun also. So you will have do a little testing to see what works 👌. Good luck with your project 👍.
Will it affect staining at all? literally in the process of stripping varnish off my cupboards and was going to use EZ strip and then came across this video. i will be staining the cupboards after i strip it. will it stain the wood like normal or is this only for painting?
Great question! it can affect certain wood differently. I would try a small test area in a corner not seen easily. Also, the washing with cold water is a vital step in this process.keep your rinse water fresh. Also someone mentioned to use vinegar and water solution to nutrilze cleaner after initially using water. good luck with your project I know it will turn out 👍
Of course I found this video after spending an entire evening scraping 40yr old varnish off my cabinets! I will be ready next time with my oven cleaner! Thank you so much for this video!
lol.....isn't that the way it always is? go figure.
Omg!!!! I was literally just going to comment the same exact thing!!!!
Ahhh hahaha same ⛵.
Me too, after sanding all last evening.
Happens to the best of us!
I recently decided to take on the laborious task of sanding my pine skirting boards and door frames with a view to staining them a different colour. I have pine boards all through my home, so I'd have been sanding forever! You just made my life so much easier with this hack! Thank you for changing the game. You're a pure legend! ❤
I must have watched 30 Furniture Stripping Videos to find this one but I'm so glad I persevered! Other stripping videos are all 90% the same but they each have one good nugget of new info. This, sir, is pure gold! You kept it short and got straight to the point with none of the showing off. Hats off to you my friend!
Also, I've just read all the comments. You're a really nice guy! Although it might be worth putting a FAQ in the video description. You keep getting asked the same questions over and over.
@@user-qk2iy8ke3d thanks for the tip I didn't know I could do that.I will look into how get that up.
thanks for taking the time to comment. when I am trying to get info on TH-cam on how to repair things I really dont have time for all that talking I just want to know how to get it done. I hope your project goes well.
Sir, you are a Saint! I was about one more layer of citristrip away from the crazy house. Thank you!
I heard that! you are welcome 😊
Yes…that stuff just turns everything to goo!
thanks for the laugh...if you have TRIED in earnest to use that HOT MESS in a container, I so can relate. It should come with a woodworker's caution printed on the label. NOT intended for use on any project worth finishing.
Been painting for 45 years and thank God I found this. Works better than any stripper Ive used, faster also. Youre a genius!
that's great to hear. I am showing this comment to my wife she thinks otherwise.
Thank you! My first attempt at refinishing coffee table. Been sanding for 2 days. Came to look what I needed to remove varnish and there you were! Thanks again!!!! ❤
OMG!!! I don't know why I didn't think off it my self!!!!!! I use ESSY OFF on every think else!!! That would save me a lot time and money on all the products I tried (CITRUS, LIQUEUR REMOVAL, PAINT THINNER, SANDING......) THANK YOU SO MUCH
I’ve owned my house for 17 years, HATE my kitchen cabinets, been looking at them for many years just discouraged at all the work it would take to do this!! I’m gonna try your technique this week!! Thank you soooo much
Did you start your project? Hows it going? Im thinking of trying this on my dresser tomorrow
Thanks, Mike, this is brilliant. I'm so glad I found your post after reading so many that sounded so tedious. You're a genius! Thanks from Oz 👌🙂
@TheChickenn08 Good luck with your project.
You've just made my first project happen! I was dreading the sanding process of a restoration I am planning to do. I did a search for easy methods to remove varnish and up you popped! Thanks
Well done thanks
I used this for stripping dressers for my kids rooms 30 yrs ago.. Work like a charm. Washed them well after.. Dried and painted
This is exactly what I was looking for! I have some old trim that I'm reusing that has varnish on it in grooves, and I'm going to have my husband pick up the oven cleaner and try it today. Thank you so so much for the information. Nothing I have in the way of sanding blocks or tools we'll be able to get in the grooves, so I'm hoping this oven cleaner works like it looks like it did for you. Thank you immensely!
Genius!!!!! I was stuck with a bathroom vanity that is varnished and absolutely nothing would do my wife until I painted it. Well I painted it (under severe objection) with the oil base paint that she went and bought. She wanted no sanding. Naturally it was a catastrophe!! THEN I saw this.. I stripped the whole damn thing and painted it. Happy wife, happy life. Thank you!!!
that's great man! glad to hear it was a success.
THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH !!! I'm JUST starting to refinish a BUNCH of antique's and was DREADING all those little beautiful nooks and crannies !! Now I know a MUCH faster and EASIER way to restore them THANKS TO YOU !! This job is going to be a PLEASURE now !! I love restoring old furniture to make it "new" again but it is really labor intensive for sure !! A true labor of love !! I'll take the old furniture ANY day over the new stuff. Sooooo much more craftmanship and CHARACTER !! You've got a new subscriber !! Thanks again !!
oh you're welcome ! enjoy those projects definitely a labor of love.
4yrs since this video and you are now my hero.
that's nice thanks!
This is really cool! I'm definitely going to do this on a few projects. I also love the part about having crabs, crawfish, and lobsters still in the cracks...
I was wondering about that too. He said it twice.😃😃. Good video though.
You're a Godsent! I couldn't get the lacquer off an LVP plank from a project gone wrong. I searched far and wide and tried everything to prevent replacing the floor planks. Your trick did it! A million thanks for this [easy] video!
thanks for watching. glad this helped you.
This worked perfectly, thank you. To avoid inhaling the fumes, I did this outside. I would think ventilating the area will also work.
Great to hear. yes ventilation will work and there is also a fume free version for more $$.
I’m so grateful I came across this! Thank you for sharing!!! This will save me time and money!!
Removing varnish with a citrus stripper, did not lift. Came here looking for an alternative. Thanks a bunch!!
You're the one I've been waiting and searching for! I should have found this video before I started stripping and sanding the furniture. I had to redo the paint I've done which I'm not so happy about and which I have coated many many times with finishing so it makes me so lazy to think about doing the same labour all over again. But - this makes it look so much easier. Thank you for sharing. I'll do that project before the holiday comes.
Thank you! You just saved me hundreds of hours!!!
Wow and here I was going to do a 3 day project...... Mine are a dark finish so I'll see.... Thanks so much for doing this video if the dark comes off ....... YOU THE MAN lol
Thanks for this hack! I would have never thought of oven cleaner to strip the profiles of door panels. I'm going to try it out tomorrow on a 100 year old door with lots of varnish in those panel profiles.
that's great your saving those doors. hope the project is a success.
Hi. Did it work out?
@@firemelon7296 Yes, it really got the old varnish off and out of the ridges very well, and fast, too. I used a wooden kebab stick to get the softened varnish gunk out of the profile ridges, and that was a good plan. Wiping down with old cloth, to avoid smearing it around.
But, it caused a minor staining of the wood where the oven cleaner touched it.... I decided to hose the door down with the pressure washer and a fan type nozzle. After it dried, it looked normal again. So all in all, it was a success. I think that removal of really old varnish or paint should be done slowly...meaning letting the wood rest a few days between process steps involving chemicals, to make sure they either evaporated completely, or when washed off, to dry the wood grain perfectly.
I then sanded it a few times more with fine grid paper, and it turned out beautiful! Now treating it with tung oil varnish.
I’ll give this a try in future projects. I think it’s worth mentioning that you should have good ventilation trying this method. You don’t want to be breathing in the oven cleaner fumes and the byproducts of its reaction with the varnish/paint.
I bought a Victorian house last year and it has a beautiful wooden staircase. But someone had painted it with wood effect paint, don't ask why. Any way i have tried 3 advertised best seller paint strippers and they did not touch it. Just watched this video and decided to try it out. What a result, within 20 minutes i just wiped it off. The thought of hand scraping and sanding for weeks to strip it was getting me down every time i went up and down the stairs. Please except a huge thank you for you video.
I know what your were going through. I have been there. Thank you for your comment I am so glad this was helpful to you.
I almost made a big mistake. You have saved me time and money. May you succeed in your endeavors.
Thank you so much!
We bought a house and the finish of the doors is awful! Have no money to replace and want to keep the wood color instead of painting white.
You just gave me hope!
😊
Hi AM I was wondering if you tried this idea with the oven cleaner, my husband and I just recently purchased a home too, the finish on the woodwork is horrendous and we have sanded our fingers to the bone. 😢 I hope I hear back from you Take good care, will looking forward to hearing from you.
@@cindyisbell2650 Hi Cindy, I didn't try. In my area is hard to open the windows (either too cold or too hot), so, I was concerned because of fumes (because even product without smell releases gases). I am considering using an electric sander to sand gently, my doors don't have any detail, what makes it "easier".
Hey AM, I am going to show this technique to my husband and see what he thinks, if we try this and have success I will let you know. Thanks for replying back. Have a great day.:-)
@@cindyisbell2650 Thanks Cindy! 🙂
Wow even though this was done 6 years ago. I am so happy I found this before I started my next project.....
Mr. H. You are a genius! I tried it on a table and I could not believe the results. Thank you very, very much.
you're welcome.
Long story, i can't thank you enough. Wee tip if i may to some (as i found out), i found that
after i left it for 20 minutes stuff just sat there, but i believe in my case the oven cleaner
Mr. Muscle acted as a softner cause when i scrubbed it off with a wet course sponge
it came off in seconds. Many many thanks.
that's great! thanks for the tip.
OH MY GOSH!!!!! I am so grateful for this video! Ive been wanting to paint my doors, door frames and baseboards but was feeling dread from dealing with the sanding dust. You have saved me!!!! Thank you so so so very much!!!! Going to Dollar Tree for oven cleaner TODAY. Want to get my house as pretty as Id like before my baby makes his appearance.
Just want to absolutely endorse your creative instincts, you're clearly at the apex of DIY ingenuity!!!
lol. thank you.
Thank you so much! I was dreading having to sand all the trim and doors in my kid's bedroom after a fire. So going to try this out! Great video too, short and to the point!
This works been doing it for years also works on paint stripped a painted shelf I used it on down to the bare wood beats the hell out of trying to sand it off
Thanks!!! Been mulling over how I can get around sanding my mantle before staining!
Amazing! I've been thinking for a long time how to strip the varnish from the front door without strip it or sanding it, this technique is unique and cost almost nothing, thanks
great! I hope this works for your project.
I'm willing to try this as I have a door with 6 window panels, bit I'm wondering if I can use the oven cleaner on the whole door? I would imagine so but wanted to know your thoughts. Thanks!
Lol! Mike, where were you all this time? This is amazing. I’m trying this on the hand rails in the living room stairs. We’ve been wanting to paint them for years. Thank you!
How did the job go?
Great tip! I'm hoping this will work on the old bureau mirror I picked out of a dumpster.
I have gone thru a whole bottle of stripper and still struggling to get the varnish off even with scraping. I'm definitely going to try this.
did it work?
@@doranhoge8872 yes the oven cleaner works for stripping varnish. Make sure you are well ventilated.
Oven cleaner is lye in a spray can. Lye does not touch oil paint, but works great on water based finishes. So if the varnish is waterborne poly, yes. But oil poly, this should not work.
Wow, excellent video. I’ve tried proper wax/stain remover but it’s not as good as using methylated spirits and a rag. But the oven cleaner spray looks to be a game changer. So going forward I shall try this.
Many thanks.
THANK YOU!!! God bless you sir for this video, I was about to have to sand for a week!!!!
great!
You are prepping to paint the doors. Consider that there is no need to remove the old varnish. Method:
1. Clean thoroughly
2. Fill as needed and sand smooth
3. Apply 2 thin coats of shellac based primer, let dry 2 hrs between coats. I was doing 24 doors and all door and window casings so I used a HVLP sprayer to apply.
4. Sand smooth, it will feel like glass
5. Now you are all prepped for painting.
You will never have a bleed through of the prior stain by using this method. I went from dark walnut stain to BM Simply White. A lot of work but it it transformed the home.
would not have thought of this but I guess it works, what to you think about using this on old hard wood floors 50 years old?
Hi Larry, yes it would work, but it can get messy in a large area and I would take great care in protecting the baseboards from over spray. because oven cleaner also eats through paint.
Genius. Can't wait to try as whole house, doors, bannisters, rails, skirting board all covered in varnish and is going to take years to remove using nitromors.
Why would you paint these doors? Great tip! Sanding or scraping is always a cumbersome task. I'll be trying this out.
well a couple of reasons , 1st there are 4 doors in this hallway close to each other and looked rather dark. 2nd, I was selling my home and wanted to brighten the hallway up by painting them white . it looked great when I was done and the paint really accentuated the the detail in the doors.
Or WOW...thankyou for this..its a life and time saver!!! Just what I need 👍👍Best wishes from Caroline in the UK 🇬🇧🇬🇧
Did this work? If so which oven cleaner did u use? My hands have been killing me all day sanding
Dude! Thank you!!! I am preparing to tackle the oak trim around my doors.
Thank you for this great idea. My only question/concern is if this will damage or weaken the wood in any way. I am working on refinishing a mast to my sail boat. I can not risk damage to the wooden or weakening since it will take a lot of stress and needs to keep its' integrity. Any information you may have will be helpful.
Hi Michelle, With this technique it only removes the old finish from the surface and does not penetrate the wood, but then again, I am just some guy on TH-cam. best of luck to you in your travels on the open 🌊.
Wow, what a discovery! So grateful to you for sharing, thanks a lot. 👍🙏💥But how did you discover this?
Thanks for sharing this! I have dressers to strip with lots of details, and this will really help!
your welcome. Hope your project goes well
You saved me and my gloss varnished cedar table. Marry me! 😂😂
I tell that oven clean is like a hammer, NUMBER 1 TOOL.
This is a great idea but how do i remove the oven cleaner residue before painting, usually in an oven we just run the clean cycle.
by washing door with cold water. changing water frequently. also, someone commented that adding some vinegar to the water nuetrilzed the oven cleaner.
Wow this is perfect !!!! Amazing hack!!! I’m keen to try seems way easier than other methods.
This was a great idea. Thank you for sharing the information. my home has a lot of wood I would like to redo.
Thanks for sharing. I’m going to use this process next time I refinish. Wish I had seen this a couple of days ago.
I despise my bathroom cabinets. We have lived in our house since 2007. I have held off on doing anything with them due to the pain it’ll be. I’m gonna try this!
Yes it will be a pain,but you will love the results. good luck project.
Awesome!! I can easily remove the spindles on my stairs so I can set up in the garage for ventilation.
Really didn't want to prime and paint over them.
I want clear coat of poly once I get them cleaned so it will match my gorgeous banister.
My home is 131 years old. Painting the risers but really wanted that contrast of wood against the ultra white.
Fingers crossed this turns out like I'm anticipating.
That's great! good luck with the project abd that contrast will have such a warm look.
If your painting you don't need to "remove" the varnish. Just clean it, deglosse it, apply a good primer sealer like binsser.
Zinsser*
Thanks for the video… Will this work on my hardwood floors? I have polyurethane/wood stain in the corners and in spots the edger stander couldn’t get… or rather that it gummed up every piece of sandpaper🙄
Thanks Im doing my kitchen cabinets oven clean will work
I found this just in time- many thanks!
Oh man, I have been looking for something to strip the old varnish off square balusters and handrail. I'll let you know if it works. I've got about 30 of them and will definitely do it outside, maybe even a fan blowing across. THANKS!!!
Did it work for you?
@@susankelly3136 Ahh, haven't done it yet. Putting off the task, not wanting to get involved since we found out our grandkids are moving out of state in a month. Don't want to waste our time with house remodel while they're still here. I'll let you know. Thanks!
This is great. So we still have to wash the wood down to get the chemicals off from the oven cleaner right?
yes
What kind of cleaner did you use? I cannot catch it clearly. Nice video and very helpful. Thank a lot.
the brand name is Easy-off oven cleaner. A generic brand will work fine also .
So after you wiped the oven cleaner off and repainted, did you notice any bleed-through or adhesion issues, or did you use a stain blocking primer and then paint? Thanks.
sanded flat areas with 120 grit sand paper, used 00 steel wool for intricate or hard to reach areas. stain blocker primer, and 2 coats paint. Sanding b4 priming closes wood pores to reduce bleed through and gives a smooth surface.
We are currently removing polyurethane from windowsills. It’s a pain in the ass I have to sand everything. I’ve even sanded my fingertips raw. Hopefully your video will have some tips
Oh man I know what your going through. hang in there! you will enjoy the results, and this technique should allow you time to get your finger prints back.
Would you use the oven cleaner on the rest of the door as well, on the flat areas?
yes, u can on , I sanded the flat areas because I used wood filler on some areas.
Hi I couldn't see if you have answered this question already so sorry if it's a repeat.. Do know the brand or the active ingredients in the oven cleaner as I am in the UK and want to find the right one. Thanks
Hi, these are all the ingredients. Water, Butane, Sodium Hydroxide, Dipropylene Glycol Propyl Ether, Ethanolamine, Benzyl Alcohol, Smectite Clay, Paraffin Wax, Fragrance.
Professional EASY-OFF® Heavy Duty Oven & Grill Cleaner
Sounds like a good idea. I wonder how rubbing the oven cleaner with steel wool first would work? Then a wet rag rinse?
Any update on using steel wool? TIA
I wondered that immediately. It would probably remove more finish, but not absorb nearly as much, so going behind with a damp rag and then a dry rag would be good. Fine steel wool so you don't scratch it all up.
I’ve seen in you videos not to use steel wool if you are using a water based finish because you might not remove all the steel wool and then the remaining bits will rust. So, I’m thinking that you using a wet rag as a rinse could have the same problem.
you life saver! thank you for posting this video
i am really interested to know how the wood would take stain after that, it looks significantly faster than both other methods
I did this technique for staining also, and I was pleased with the results. I do recommend after removing varnish to let the wood dry out for 24-48 hours b4 applying on stain. Hope your project goes well!
@@2mikeherzog thanks for the reply. im refinishing a banister, risers, and some crown in a home with awfully heavily alligatoring poly. it looks like its covered in rhinestones lol.
@@adamzaloga9679 ah man that's a big job. This technique should save your shoulders and arms but remember to watch out for over spray. and do a test on a bottom riser. Good luck and I'm sure your project will turn out great!
Brilliant, I am struggling with a dresser, this is perfect! :)
Did it occur to you to use an oil primer after either a scuff sand or a TSP wash? Heck scuff sand and tsp wash - 19X faster and perhaps in some ways better than going back down to bare wood. As removing that finish will also remove that micro thin veneer of wood that has hardened up over the past century and better able to resist knocks and dents
thank you for offering other methods of how to complete this project. the purpose of this video was to show another way of skinning a cat . as you know, there are many ways to accomplish this. This method is just one of those ways.
Just a quick note - be careful with the oven cleaner as it could turn the wood a very dark stained color. I tried this on some oak and wherever the cleaner touched, the wood turned black. Be sure to rinse very well.
Yes, you are right, and it might affect different types of wood in different ways. Mine turned maybe two shades where it had contact with the cleaner. I water pressure washed it off. After it dried, that effect was gone. Wheeehhhh! LOL. Pressure washing is a good plan, as the water molecules get shot at the wood and don't have time to soak in. Drying it took little time, actually. I wanted the wood to stay natural, no paint afterwards, so this would matter. If some person paints it over, it wouldn't be an issue, I guess.
Pressure washing will damage the grain of the wood though
To restore the dark color wood, I think if you can put on some oxalic acid to lighten it
This is great it works wonders on chalk paint too saved a pile of time on the sanding it's a little toxic I also gave it a little sanding after. A useful TH-cam video
glad it was helpful! Thanks for the added tip about the chalk paint.
Tried to find the answer in the comments but no luck, so I’m sorry if this is a repeat question... What brand of oven cleaner do you use or does it matter?
you can use name brand " easy off" or
off brand oven cleaner is fine too. if you're using indoors, make sure it's well ventilated area.
Thanks!
You are a genius buddy. Best wishes from London
Aces mate. from Chicago
Brilliant ... you are a king!!!
What’s in oven cleaner that strips it?
Perfect video for my new project! Thanks 😊
After I do this, do I need to prep it to paint or re-varnish?
yes I waited 72 hrs for wood to dry use 220 grit sand paper with orbital sander, and use 000 steel wool to sand hard to reach areas.
Can i use this method a staicase /steps?
yes if it is clear polyurethane your removing. I would do a small testing by taping off a indescete area and see the results. steps usually have multiple coats so you may want to leave the oven spray on there for 3 -5 minutes. good luck.
thank you for sharing this video. Just wondering what brand did you use or just any brand will do
any brand will do.
Hi! I have a black painted bed frame which the varnish is peeling off, could this method mess with the paint underneath the varnish?
yes, it will .
thanks for sharing! im doing it!what kind of paint will you use ?
After priming, first, I like to use a semi gloss for doors because it makes it easy for wiping dirt and hand prints off.
great video. im also intending on painting my varnished doors white. does it still need stripping or can i put a white primer over it then paint it the final colour,
primer and paint final color. 👍
There are some tables in a rec room that were ruined by the chemicals they used for COVID to clean them I just wanted it easier fix than sanding the whole thing down and all that! I think this might work perfect.. 👍
I wonder if this would work on a wooden picture frame I have. I bought it at a consignment shop. The frame is heavy and nice and it's a shame that the clear coat or whatever it is has come off in a few areas. The stain underneath is nice. Right now I'm looking for solutions so I might try the oven cleaner.
where ca I get that product? and what is the name of that product
It is called easy off oven cleaner .
Crustaceans mostly live in water, and they might bite you, if you spray oven cleaner on them.
Going to try this today!
Thank you for this, looking forward to trying it!
You are so welcome!
Fab going to try this on my dark shiny varnished stairs want to paint them white ✋✋
Use frenchic on them or hemway both chalk paints
How did that work out? I'm going to try it on mine.
You're a genius..thankyou for this..it worked perfectly 👍
That's great Sarah! thanks for the feed back.
This looks amazing and am going to try with a dining table I have. Can I ask, in the UK skirting boards are usually painted white. Would this work with stripping paint from wood? Thanks.
yes it will work on paint but it depending on how many coats there are and you have to leave the oven cleaner on longer and apply a thicker coat of spray. You might consider using a heat gun also. So you will have do a little testing to see what works 👌. Good luck with your project 👍.
Will it affect staining at all? literally in the process of stripping varnish off my cupboards and was going to use EZ strip and then came across this video. i will be staining the cupboards after i strip it. will it stain the wood like normal or is this only for painting?
Great question! it can affect certain wood differently. I would try a small test area in a corner not seen easily. Also, the washing with cold water is a vital step in this process.keep your rinse water fresh. Also someone mentioned to use vinegar and water solution to nutrilze cleaner after initially using water. good luck with your project I know it will turn out 👍
Absolutely fantastic tip thank you so much👍👍👏👏👏