How to Remove Paint and Varnish from Wood Furniture

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Learn how to remove old paint and varnish from wood furniture with the step-by-step process we used on our own buffet, including the tools that worked, stubborn areas that needed a second pass, and what I’d do differently today.

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Old furniture can be one of the best places to start when you want something new for your home without buying new furniture.

Whether you found a solid wood dresser on Facebook Marketplace, inherited an older piece, or simply want to redo something you already own, layers of old paint and varnish don’t necessarily mean you have to pass on it.

I learned that firsthand with this buffet.

I had already refinished it once, including painting it bright red and adding wax over the finish. When I eventually decided the red no longer worked in our home, that meant removing years of paint, varnish and wax before I could refinish it again.

It took some patience, but the process wasn’t complicated. Here’s exactly how we removed the old paint and varnish, including what worked, what required a second pass, and what I’d do differently today.

 

 

How to Remove Paint and Varnish

1. Remove the Hardware and Prep the Furniture

Remove all old hardware, including door hinges.

To save yourself lots of effort and time, spend about 10 minutes and sand over your entire piece with coarse sand paper. Make sure to sand in direction of the wood. What you’re doing is prepping the remover to do an even better job than its advertised. I’ve found that a bit of effort goes a long way when you have furniture with wax or special finishing on it (like mine!).

2. Apply the Varnish & Paint Remover

Paint a very thick coat of the Citristrip on your wood surface. Be very liberal in your application. Don’t worry about using too much. I’m so frugal when it comes to painting supplies and it took me a minute to ‘let it go.’ Once I started applying it thick and saw the immediate changes, I was convinced, that in this case, more is better.

Make sure to apply the chemical strippers to every nook and cranny on your piece. The paint won’t come off unless you apply a product directly to it. Since the gel-liquid is so thick, I ‘painted’ the remover on the legs and sides, and it didn’t budge too much.

For detailed areas, try plastic cling wrap. On the nooks, crannies, corners and detailed areas of our buffet, I covered the applied paint stripper with plastic cling wrap. This helped keep the stripper from drying out as quickly and gave it more time to work on those stubborn layers of paint and varnish.

This was especially helpful in areas where it was harder to apply and scrape away the stripper. Always check the current directions for the paint stripper you’re using before covering it or leaving it on for an extended period of time.

3. Scrape Away the Old Finish

After about 2 hours of letting the Citristrip lying on top of the wood, begin removing the paint. Start off easy and use plastic putty knives.

You can see how the paint and varnish came right off. I thought it was pretty cool. The wood is still wet underneath and will be for at least 12 hours after you’ve finished removing the paint.

Use clean cloths to wipe up paint and residue as you go. Otherwise, you’ll end up with paint pieces all over the floor and you don’t want to be stepping in them.

Inevitably you will not be able to remove every piece of paint. I’d then recommend that you use a mini wire brush to help you out.

We used it for the nooks and crannies that aren’t practical for putty knives.

4. Repeat on Stubborn Areas

The wire brush quickly removed any extra pieces.

Reapply another coat of Citristrip, if desired.

Now you can see that there are still some areas that need extra attention. For these, use a more potent paint remover.

 

My first goal was to use a low VOC product first, then go stronger, if needed. After at least 40 years of varnish and paint, this buffet needed just a tad bit more product. I then used this JASCO Paint Remover.

 

Spray or apply a thick coat to your remaining paint and wait according to the product. Then use a wire brush or knife to remove the last bits of paint! (Jordan used a wide wire brush to quickly clean up the last spots)

Don’t worry- you may not need to apply the second product. I needed to because I had latex paint AND a thick wax lying over it. It simply made for a difficult removal.

5. Clean and Prepare the Wood for Refinishing

Finally, your furniture looks almost too perfect to paint over. 🙂 I even told Jordan “Wow, who knew ours would look so good?”

Using your cloths, wipe down your item. Then, using an orbital sander, sand over the entire piece using a fine grit.

Be sure to be firm while sanding and still going in the moving in the general direction of the wood.

Wipe off any sanding residue! Now your piece is ready for its next step– refinishing!

Frequently Asked Questions About Removing Paint & Varnish

We’ve received several questions over the years about removing paint from furniture.

Can I Remove Varnish From Wood Furniture?

Yes, but the right method depends on the finish you’re removing and what you plan to do with the wood afterward. This buffet had layers of old varnish, latex paint, and wax, so it took more than one pass to get back to the wood underneath.

Can I Use a Power Sander?

A power sander can be useful during furniture refinishing, but I wouldn’t automatically use one on an unknown painted finish. If the piece is older, first determine whether you’re dealing with lead-based paint or another finish that shouldn’t be sanded. Once you know the finish is appropriate to sand, test a small hidden area before working across the entire piece.

What is the Best Way to Remove Paint or Varnish On a Small Area of Wood?

I would follow the instructions above and spend a lot of time using a small putty knife and wire brush. Once your initial paint is removed, you can keep moving through the steps and sand with 150-grit sandpaper and wipe the surface with a tack cloth.

Does Plastic Wrap Help When Stripping Furniture?

It did for us, especially on the detailed areas of this buffet. After applying the paint stripper to nooks, crannies and corners, I covered those areas with plastic cling wrap to help keep the stripper from drying out too quickly.

That gave the product more time to work on the layers underneath and made those stubborn areas easier to tackle. You don’t necessarily need plastic wrap over the entire piece, but I found it really helpful for detailed areas where the stripper tended to dry out before I was ready to scrape.

Since paint stripper formulas and application instructions can change, check the label on the product you’re using before covering it or extending its working time.

What safety precautions should I take before removing paint and varnish?

​Safety is so important! Set up a workspace in a covered, but well-ventilated area. Consider an outdoor patio or garage where you can open the door for airflow or if you must, work in a basement next to a large open window.

Once you have a well-ventilated space, always use eye protection and safety gloves to avoid chemical burns.

Is Saran Wrap Really necessary for removing paint and varnish?

​Yes– saran wrap keeps your varnish stripper wet, which keeps it working. If your chemical paint strippers dry too quickly after application, you won’t find them as effective. When in doubt, cover your varnish with Saran Wrap.

 

Removing old paint and varnish from furniture takes some patience, especially when you’re working through multiple layers of finish. But once you see the original wood starting to appear underneath, it’s worth the messy part.

This buffet had years of varnish, latex paint and wax to work through, and we still managed to get it back to a clean surface that was ready for a completely new look.

Once your furniture is stripped and prepped, head over to the two-tone furniture makeover to see exactly what we did with this piece next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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