Remember back when Robert and I stripped our fireplace mantle and I was in love with the Citristrip we used? Well, that relationship has run its course and after this last furniture stripping project, it’s time for a breakup. Sorry Citristrip. It’s you, not me. And just like every difficult break-up, I turned to alcohol to get me through it. Denatured alcohol that is. (Har har. Come on now, this is a family-friendly blog.)
Yesterday I posted about my mid-strip progress, or lack thereof, and I finally had to call it a day after 24 hours of scraping the stubborn gummy residue that made a complete mess and still didn’t want to budge. Citristrip did great on latex paint before, but it was no match for 40 year old varnish. The Citristrip label said to clean up the residue with mineral spirits, but after hours of applying, scrubbing, and a few dollars shorter later, it still wasn’t much better.
Here’s a shot of the chair legs right after applying the Citristrip. I was blissfully unaware at this point. I was so mad about the gummy gunk later that I didn’t even take a picture of it. Trust me on this one; it was bad.
I searched high and low through resource after resource to figure out a solution for the disaster I created and came up with a few solutions but nothing that really worked. Several sources I found said to try another coat or two of stripper. And my thoughts were “No freaking way! I can’t do it again. I need a shortcut.” (Shortcuts usually lead to more disaster when it comes to home improvement, but I proved that lesson wrong in this scenario…thankfully.)
I reached the point where I didn’t even care that the furniture still had some leftover stain and varnish. I just wanted the residue gone so that I could prime and be done with it. So if you find yourself in a gummy, gunky stripping mess like I did, here is the solution that I figured out through trial and error.
The answer to my Citristrip disaster:
Denatured Alcohol! Check out that beautiful gunk-free wood! Mineral spirits didn’t work. Goof off didn’t work. Goo Gone didn’t work. Sanding didn’t work. Warm soapy water made it stickier. Additional stripper just caused a bigger mess (these chairs had a LOT of varnish). But when I swiped on the denatured alcohol, I could almost hear angels singing. Saying a little prayer for patience probably helped too. So after a good wipe down of denatured alcohol and using a small brass wire brush to work it in the little crevices, I finally saw light at the end of the tunnel. To be safe since there are a few varnish spots still left, I’m giving the wood a coat of oil based primer, Kilz Original.
I’ve never been so happy to take an after shot in my life.
I’m so glad to finally be done with that first step, but whenever I have a DIY fiasco happen, I have to look on the bright side that at least I learned a skill to always keep in mind for any other projects from here on out.
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Lauren! Thank you so much for this post! I used Citri-strip to strip contractor overspray off of my steps after I ripped the carpet off and was left with that same gooey mess. I was at my wits’ end until I found this! You’re a lifesaver.
I’m so glad it helped! It was an absolute nightmare! I shiver just thinking about the gunk all over again. Ugh. I have a phobia of stripping furniture now. I hope it ended well for you!
Hi using this will it take off the the old stain on it I’m doing a dinning room table.and it has so much layers of gloss on it it’s taking lots of stripping gel.help plz
I know this kind of an old post, but I am using Citristrip for the first time and I have gunk in some places but not in others, and I wanted your advice… I was trying to strip paint, which went wonderfully, but I didn’t know there was some kind of stain / varnish underneath, and now that has come up in some places but not others. Could it be the stain underneath making it gunky, and I should get some more stripper to get rid of that, or is it pretty definitely the Citristrip and I should wash it off asap?
If you are just wanting to paint the piece, I would suggest cleaning up as much as you can with the denatured alcohol. Trying to wash it off with soap and water only made it worse for me. After the denatured alcohol, let it dry for 24 hours, sand with a medium/coarse grit, wipe off any dust with a tack cloth, and prime with Kilz Original and dry for 24 hours, then paint with whatever finish you choose. It’s a long, aggravating process but it works. Good luck with it! Let me know if you have any more questions!
I will never use CitriStrip again! What a mess! The denatured alcohol worked great! It’s also useful for a lot of woodworking based projects.
For removing finish from cabinets and flat surfaces I’d suggest a “card scraper”. It’s an old school hand tool that scrapes the finish coat off and creates less of a mess.
HI! I’ve been reading your post and I went to the store to buy the Denatured Alcohol, but I’m concerned about it being flammable. The can specifically says not to use it on wood floors or furniture due to the fact that Denatured Alcohol is a fuel. What are your thoughts on this? Why did you think to use this product in the first place? I admit that it’s almost misleading considering that it’s sold by Klean Strip and found in the paint aisle. Are you worried about the flammable nature of this product?
Thanks!
Vera
Ya know…I can see how it could be a concern but at this point, I was so desperate to just have the gunk gone after trying every solution I could find that it was either use the denatured alcohol or throw out the chairs all together. We’ve had the chairs done now for nearly a year though, so we’re very happy with how they turned out. But we also stained and sealed them, so I’m hoping we’re in the clear.
Update: Out of desperation, I went and bought some denatured alcohol. So far, it is helping! Thanks for posting this article and sharing your experience! Hopefully my table won’t burst into flames. LOL Seriously though, I have found several other videos and articles recommending the denatured alcohol.
Have a great day!
Vera
Yay! So glad it worked! I was ready to pull my hair out if it weren’t for this stuff.
I use denatured alcohol to clean furniture before I paint and prime all the time. I guess I should have read those instructions! To make you feel better, the paint company I follow – General Finishes – recommends cleaning all products with a 50/50 mix of denatured alcohol and water before painting. It works like a dream for me. I just do it outside or with lots of ventilation and a mask on. And of course gloves. The alcohol dries pretty quickly – so I think the thread of bursting into flames is pretty low.
That’s great to know! Thanks for sharing, Shannon!
THANK YOU!!! I’m up to my ears in dried gunk and I’m hopeful that this will work 🙂
Yay! So glad it helped! I know the feeling very well. I was ready to throw those chairs in the TRASH! Thank goodness I didn’t. Stay strong, Kim. 😉
Hi Lauren, I have been refinishing furniture for the past 40 years…and after reading your note with the stripper, I must commend you by saying…it is never too late to teach “an older refinisher” a new trick! I am stripping my kitchen cabinets..using the hard core stripper on the doors outside which is not an issue with good airflow. I too started stripping the indoors areas with EZ strip, Citristrip and and Back to Nature Redi-strip methods and luckily my hair is still intact!!!I was to the point of closing off the rooms and venting the fumes and using the hard core stripper inside. If I use the denatured alcohol I will need to vent as well. My question to you….do you think the denatured alcohol could be used as a first step and forget all the other products? Now after completing the chair project, have you used the alcohol in place of everything else? Thank you, SueP
I’m so glad I could teach “an old refinisher” a new trick! Haha! I think this one for me was sheer dumb luck out of total desperation. I was so sick of that icky goo after several days. It’ll try your patience for sure. If I’d known the drama it was going to cause, I would have just primed the chairs with Kilz in the very beginning and avoided stripping altogether. I haven’t used the alcohol on anything else because actually…I feel like I’m scarred for life when it comes to stripping furniture now. Maybe one day I’ll attempt it again. But I’ll definitely TEST a spot first before applying it to the entire piece. Ahh! Lesson learned. Hope your project ends up well, Sue! 🙂
I also have a waxy goo after using citristrip. If I use denatured alcohol, can the piece still be stained or have a clear coat over the wood? I didn’t really want to paint these chairs, but might have to.
I ended up painting mine but that’s really only because I still had a good bit of stubborn varnish left on them. If the varnish is splotchy on yours, I would paint. If you can manage to get all of the varnish off, you can certainly try staining them. And the good thing is, if the stain doesn’t go well, you can always try painting over it then.
I just used CitriStrip today to remove flaking stain/shellac/varnish from my sewing cabinet (all hardwood, huge and heavy with tons of storage–a STEAL for $20 from a thrift store). The top was in bad shape, to the point where I couldn’t use it uncovered for actual sewing because it would snag the fabric. Anyhow, finally got around to stripping it, and yes, I got “goo.” Lots and lots of it! I scraped with a flexible metal scraper and wiped it on paper towels and cardboard over THREE separate coats of stripper! What a mess! But, I’m sitting here right now next to an awesome sewing cabinet with a beautifully clear top. I will use alcohol wipes to remove any extra residue, then sand the top. I will probably restain this piece because the wood grain is pretty. My advice, stick with it until you get all the goo gone! Still way easier than sanding, IMO.
Good to know, Tina! Maybe I just need more patience. I’m thinking I’ll try a different stripper next time. Maybe the Citristrip and I just don’t get along.
you can’t let it sit too long. My first experience was on a rocker, think I left it on 24 hrs and that was my problem.
I had the same problem! I have a beautiful old dresser COVERED with gummy gunk that won’t wash or sand off. I hate Citri-Strip! I dried the mineral spirits and they did nothing. I just tried your trick with the denatured alcohol, and it softened it somewhat, but I am still left hacking at the residue with a metal painter’s five-in-one tool. What did you use to remove the residue, please? Scrubbing just doesn’t seem to be doing it. I wonder if it depends on the nature of the original finish interacting with the Citri-Strip.
Also, what will you try instead for a stripper? I was trying to avoid toxic chemicals, and now I have had to buy and use many more chemicals than if I had just used an effective stripper in the first place!
Thank you for posting & happy stripping, lol.
Oh no! The denatured alcohol really did the trick for me so I’m sorry to hear you’re still dealing with it. I did a little research and found that this stripper is the highest rated: http://amzn.to/1MTYTK4 It’s supposed to be an alternative to harsh chemical strippers too.
I haven’t tried it yet myself though, since I finally just broke down and primed and painted my chairs instead. I hope that helps!
OH MAN!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!! I loved using it on my table top but ran out of steam on the base and 4 chairs…and I tried FEVERISHLY to get what I left, off. I will buy some of this too!! I am so excited now!
Thank you
It’s the biggest paint in the butt ever, right?! I think I’m scarred for life. Haha! Glad my little tip could help. I was pulling my hair out!
Lauren, I love you. Six Queen Anne dining chairs with five layers of paint (my own doing) and although I do like Citistrip I didn’t think I could handle the mess. Thank you!!
Whew! Nope nope nope. I wouldn’t be able to handle it either. So glad this little trick could help. Such a nightmare! Over a year later, and I’m still scarred. Haha!
You literally just saved my life. After hours of tears and a full meltdown I’m headed out to get some denatured alcohol.
I know EXACTLY how it feels, Tana! Hope it worked out for you.
Hi Lauren,
I was wondering what your opinion would be. I used Citristrip on my mother’s staircase. I only did the bottom post and that has the most detail with grooves and an ornate molding. It had layers of paint and then I discovered the stain and varnish at three bottom of it all. It seemed like the citristrip worked well on the newer paints but the older(lead based) paints I am sure, turned to liquid goo. I applied three oats so far and I just can’t do another. I was always going to repaint. It just had sooooo much paint and it was messy looking. Anyway, I am left with tacky goo all over it. I used the citristrip because my mom has asthma. It hasn’t bothered her at all. My question is in your opinion, is the denatured alcohol very fumey like mineral spirits? I may not have a choice but to use it. I just don’t know how to proceed in stripping the rest of the staircase now after the citristrip mess! Possibly a heat gun. Ugh! Thanks! Your post was a blessing. At least I know it wasn’t only me.
I am SO sorry I’m just now seeing this post, Susan! The denatured alcohol does have fumes, so you do need to be careful about that. I wish there was some other way, but everything else I tried that didn’t have fumes was a big giant fail. A heat gun would probably be your best bet.
Do not use a heat gun! Especially indoors on old lead paint. It will make lead vapor in the air and is very dangerous. My coworker several years ago wanted to strip the giant Victorian baseboards in her tiny bedroom. I even told her to be careful…well, she was in the hospital for two weeks with lead poisoning and was seriously ill. On top of that, once she furnished her tiny bedroom, there was barely any of the baseboards showing.
Woah! That is so scary! Thank you for sharing that, Elizabeth! Yes, definitely test for lead paint before stripping anything.
Thanks for the tip. But I’m curious should I clean of the gooey mess before I apply the alcohol?
I would try to get rid as much of the gooey mess as you can, but rubbing it down with the alcohol should help get rid of the rest.
I am going to run to the store and get denatured alcohol as soon as possible. Citristrip is terrible! I tried using it on all of the trim in our entire house… worst idea ever! Now our whole house is full of this gummy mess.
Oh no!!! I’ve been there before! Worst. situation. ever. Hope it works out for you!
This is where I’m at right now.
Gotta run to the store now to try this.
Since my trim and case moldings are all gooey from the citristrip and I’ve added that mineral spirits to try and remove it like the instructions say. (Two days of pulling my hair out) Since this is all done inside. Any feedback on to how to now apply it (i.e. With what) and remove it using the alcohol? How long does it need to sit before removing?
Thanks,
I literally came across this by accident. What a blessing. I have been fighting with a bathroom window all week. The only way I can describe it is melted chewing gum. I am leaving to get some alcohol right now. Thank you! Carolyn
Ugh! Yes! That’s exactly what it’s like. Glad it helped though!
We have a stair case banister that has about a million coats of paint, and it’s now just a big CitriStrip mess of goo. We are trying the denatured alcohol, but so far it’s not much help. Does letting it sit before scraping/scrubbing help?
Oh no! You can maybe try a different brand of paint stripper. I’ve been discovering that CitriStrip seems to be the biggest culprit.
I’m glad I found this post. I have a CitriStrip mess on my front porch in way of a chest of drawers I’m redoing. I’m totally exhausted from the mess. My niece used the CS on her kitchen cabinets and she loved it that it did a phenomenal job. So tomorrow I’m going to pick up the denatured alcohol and pray I can get this thing finished. It’s a beautiful solid oak piece. So I’m praying it works so I can get it done & get on with life inside the house on projects I need to finish. Thanks for everyone who has posted. I’m just praying this other will work. Otherwise, I have a gummy mess all over the boxes & rags that need to be thrown out. 🙂 Possibly the chest, but I hope not.
Ack! It’s the worst and I completely feel your pain. Hope it works out!
Thank you! You are an angel! I haven’t tried the denatured alcohol but I’ve tried every one of the other things you had tried before the denatured alcohol. Just your sharing is a blessing in itself because I had no idea what to try. So off to the store I go.
Yay! Hope it works out!
Bless you Lauren! I have been fighting all afternoon with a sewing cabinet (probably much like the one described above). We had gotten it from my mother in law many years ago, and I just wanted to give it a quick face lift, but after redoing the top and one of the panels in front, it looked so wonderful that I decided to go all out and take it down to the wood and really do it right. When I started the project, I just went over the two surfaces I was most interested in with a “mouse” sander and took it down to the wood, but while at the store getting additional stains, I got sucked in to doing it “right” and stripping the finish off. Having plenty of outdoor space to work in, I bought the hard core, big nasty chemical variety. Trust me, CritiStrip is not the only culprit in the goo game! It bubbled and boiled like I thought it was supposed to, but turned into the stickiest, stubbornest, boil your skin in a split-second mess that can be imagined! No amount of brushes, steel wool, elbow grease, tears, etc. will separate it from it’s host. I’m far too exhausted tonight, but first thing in the morning, I’m heading back to the store, walking with blinders past all the distracting “great ideas” and buying a large container of denatured alcohol, thanks to you! (Well, I might get a few packages of sandpaper for my mouse, cause that’s the only way I’m taking any finishes off in the future!) Thank you so much!
I literally was about to put my dresser on the curb for the trash man. Citrustrip was such a disaster!!! I decided to first take a shot at Google and found your blog. Headed straight to the store for some more stripping pads and denatured alcohol. Was working great. My husband came home and pulled out the acetone, and it was like miracle liquid! Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I just wanted to share back for future blog readers. I would only recommend acetone if you can be outside though. Imagine a nail salon… times 1000! But I am so glad to be rid of all the GOO!!!! :-O And to think, I started working on my dresser 11 hours ago thinking I would save time and elbow grease using Citrustrip. *sigh*
Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience! I would have thrown my dresser away if I hadn’t found this!
I have to ask….did the alcohol take the varnish off too, or just the goo. I am refinishing dressers and this my first time, and probably my last after this debacle. I was going to try a harsher stripper to try and take the goo and varnish off at the same time, but was unsure if the alcohol would take the goo off, then I’d use a different stripper to get the 40 year old varnish off. HELP!!
Amy
Hi Amy! I’ve been there and it is NO fun! The alcohol only removes the goo, so I’m afraid you’ll still have to use a stripper to remove the rest of the varnish. Hang in there!
Thank you! I found a lane chest (oak veneer and cedar lined) at a thrift store that someone painted pink! I used citristrip and it stripped the paint off beautifully but left a gross residue. I used the alcohol you suggested and it worked! I’m sanding and staining tomorrow and I’m very excited 🙂
I’m SO glad it helped, Brit!
Thanks for the tip, it worked like a charm & saved me a lot of frustration, I’m sure!
Yay! So glad it helped!
Hi Lauren,
In the process of stripping a table and found this article. Mineral spirits didn’t work so well in the past for me either. One question though, I’ve used diluted denatured alcohol in the past to thoroughly clean furniture before painting. Do I dilute to remove the gunk?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Shirelle! I didn’t dilute it. Just put it right on there to work its magic.
Hey Lauren,
I too am working on 45+ yr old end tables and have the dried on Citristrip. Nothing budges this dried on mess. I got the denatured alcohol you suggested. Do I rub it on with cloth? How did you do it?
Thanks,
Melissa
I just used it on some steel wool I soaked in it, so maybe see if that helps.
Thanks so much!! This saved me from so much goo!!! One question: I’m using little rags to apply it (painters cloth) – is there a better way? Also, any suggestions for a good little wire brush that won’t hurt the wood too much?
Thank you so much for this post !! I’m in the middle of this disaster right now!!
Whew! I’ve felt your pain before, Chandra. Hang in there!
This post is great! It’s 6 am, starting Day 2 of refinishing 1950s birch kitchrn cabinets ( and their boxes). Yesterday was just deep clean and then Citristrip. Thank goodness for the Internet as i find others and their stories of the same trouble with 70 yrs of stubborn varnish.
Thank you! thank you! Thank you! Because day 2 will now begin with a purchase of denatured alcohol and hopefully the sweet sound of angels all day long!
So glad it helped, Victoria!
Thank you! I am in this same mess! I will have to go buy some..! I am doing a Louis IV type antique couch..
Citristrip seemed to take off selectively.. any thoughts on the steps to finish this thing!? : )
Going for a raw wood look with white pillows! 🙂
A cheaper substitute for denatured alcohol is to go to Dollar Tree and buy 12 oz bottles of Gas Treatment or Fuel Injection Cleaner for $1 each. The ingredient in both is ethanol which is grain alcohol, ie same as moonshine whiskey but they add methanol to it so people cannot drink it to get drunk it would make you vomit or go blind or die.
Works like a charm to remove shellac based coatings on most old furniture.
I buy the cheap dollar tree green scrubbing pads that look like scotch brite pads and dip them into the cleaner and scrub off the finish.
Wash everything including your hands with Dollar Tree LA’s Totally Awesome yellow cleaner. It is a degreaser and that stuff really is great and very powerful.
I use that as a hand cleaner when working on my car spray some on your hands and scrub with a green pad and wash with warm water.
Do not use LA’s totally awesome cleaner on glass it leave white smeared residue.
https://www.dollartree.com/SMB-Fuel-Injector-Cleaner-12-oz-/p128303/index.pro#ratingsReviews
https://www.dollartree.com/20-oz-Totally-Awesome-Cleaner/p8056/index.pro
Will this work to remove the factory finish that seems to still be on my store bought bar stool even after sanding?
Hi, Suzy! It could. I would test it on a small hidden spot. Then decide if you like to results.
This post about denatured alcohol removing Citristrip gumminess might have just saved my life!! We used Citristrip on an old wood floor that had a petrified padding crisis – worked beautifully to get the remaining padding off, after using a tile scraper to remove the majority. Afterwords though, panic set in. Gummy messy floor and no hope in sight! Heading to the local hardware store to buy a gallon and pray it works like you say. Thanks for sharing!
There were definitely angels singing! I’m definitely thanking God for your post… And you too of course. Saved the day, for certain.
Oh my god!!! I found this article out of desperation because of the messing citris trip… it is my first time ever stripping a furniture and what a nightmare…. I have a Victorian dining table, hutch and 10 cane chairs. I can’t and I won’t deal with this stripping anymore. I when to the store and got the denatured alcohol and it worked but after brushing and brushing and brushing. It was too much effort, but it did worked at the end. Now I have a question: can I just paint the chairs without stripping it or sanding them?
Awesome! Yes, you can paint them. I would sand them a little just to try to get them as smooth as you can. Prime before you paint too. Kilz Original should do the trick.
I’m in the same situation as everyone else it seems and I appreciate all of your suggestions, comments and feedback. One thing that I came across, while looking for a solution to the white residue, was a warning about not using the steel wool, because it can ignite the chemicals (fumes) (not sure if this was for the stripper or the denatured alcohol) if a fiber of it were to come in contact with an electrical source. I don’t know the definites here, but at least a warning to be cautious of this. That is also where I first heard the suggestion of using the Scotch Brite scrubbers instead too.
I am so glad I found your blog Lauren. I have just used citristrip to take off loads of horrible flaking paint on an old table hoping I would find beautiful wood underneath. I found instead dark horrid smelly varnished wood and just didn’t know what to do next as sanding would probably not work and be back breaking. I have ordered the denatured alcohol and will try it as soon as it arrives. Can I ask how you applied it? Do you brush it on or use a cloth to Dab it on and then how did you remove the old varnish? With a paint stripper or cloth or kitchen towel? Grateful for your advice. Many thanks.
Hi Min! I used a rag to wipe it on, then let it dry, and sanded to get it semi-smooth. From there, I had to use Kilz primer and paint. I really wanted to stain but there was just no way at that point. I was so ready to be done. I’m sure you know the feeling.
Lauren, I am so glad I found this post. I used Citristrip on a dining set. My plan was to take it down to raw wood and wax or seal it with a clear coat and leave it. The Citristrip directions said not to use if below a certain temperature; however, I was in a hurry to get this done and I had three days at home for the first time in a long time, so I tried it anyway. Needless to say, I ended up with a mess. My chairs look just like yours did. I bought the denatured alcohol and it is slowly but surely working. After hours of working on one chair, the dried up gunk is gone, but the white film remains on the chair. In your professional opinion, do you think I should change my mind and paint the chairs or do a whitewash instead of leaving the raw wood, or do you think if I re-sand the white film will go away and leave the wood ready to go?
Hi Laurie! Ugh. I so feel your pain. I personally just gave up and primed/painted them. You could try sticking to the original plan. Depends on how patient you are. 😉
Wow! I am currently stripping an old oak pedestal table. I had no issues with the top as it was a very fair stain but a lot of shellac.
The base, however, is painted ugly green and WILL NOT come off with stripper! My husband, bless him, spent 2 hours with a sander and got minimal results. Instead of burning the damn thing, I will try the alcohol first.
Lauren,
We have been refinishing for 30+ years and have discovered some things which affect clean-up:
1) Check what layers are on the furniture (oil paint, latex paint, milk paint, varnish, stain, other) that one is stripping off.
2) Check what’s in the stripper.
Yes, that knowledge will make less headaches as you have shown us. Again, many thanks.
Michael
Citristrip did a very good job of getting the varnish off a 20-year-old fireplace mantle. And odorless mineral spirits are doing a good job of cleaning up the minor residue. However, I’m left with the goo inside narrow grooves that is proving very difficult to remove. A site elsewhere recommended small wire brushes. I just came across this post searching for tips. I’m assuming the denatured alcohol should make it a lot easier to get that goo out? Does it sort of liquify the goo, or does it just help it come up off the surface? Thanks!
It really just dries it out so that it’s no longer sticky, and from there you should be able to sand it or use a wire brush.
Thanks for that info. I found myself in a similar situation. I tried Citristrip on a staircase after reading glowing reviews. Oh man it was a mess. Thanks to the denatured alcohol it got the goo out and my stairs resemble stairs again. I still will need another rinse with the alcohol, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now.
Just found this post after I used citristrip on my fireplace (recommended by lowes). This is a fake fireplace that the old homeowners painted with probably 5 costs of paint. Decided I wanted to strip it back to the natural brick. Boy was that the worst decision I ever made. Literally goo everywhere – the whole thing is basically covered in melted chewing gum. Looks like you are having success with the denatured alcohol on wood, what about brick? Do you think this would work and how toxic is it for pets to breathe in? I have a dog I’m worried about. How would I apply This?
Oh no! I haven’t used it on brick, so I really couldn’t tell you how that would work. There are fumes, so I would definitely open all windows and ventilate as much as possible.
I literally Googled “refinishing with citristip didn’t work nasty smeary sticky mess what do i use next?” and arrived at this page. Can’t thank you enough! Back on track with my Eastlake dresser restoration. Someone painted it with orange and white racing stripes but it will live again thanks to your advice! Also my blood pressure has returned to normal and I am no longer uttering loud, foul-mouthed curses on my deck 🙂
Yaaay! Been there! It’s a rough situation. Hoping it turns out well foryou!
THANK YOU for this. Got myself a wire brush and denatured alcohol today and finally got my nightstands cleaned up. Hoping to re-paint tomorrow!
Awesome! Hope it turns out well!
I decided my first stripping wood project would be my dinning room table and chairs… probably should of started with something smaller. I tried citistrip, as recommend by someone in Home Depot, unfortunately, it is very hot in Texas right no, even at night, and doing the project in my garage. It is drying before it can work. I’ve spent over 20 hours to strip two chairs. Any recommendations? I thought about throwing in the towel and buying a new set, but there is a lot of furniture in my house that I could slowly redo, so I really want to master this. What kind of gloves do you use? The stripper ate through a couple different kinds I had on hand.
Citristrip is my nemesis too. You have to use chemical resistant gloves for the job. These work great: https://amzn.to/2JCXMlD
Help! I wanted to refinish an old side table that had water marks down to the wood and did research as to the best product to use. Believe it or not, I found one that said denatured alcohol or mineral spirits, depending on whether the top coat was shellac or varnish. Well, the alcohol did the trick but my problem is that there is a white color left on portions of the wood. What is it and how do I get rid of it?
I used the Citristrip on an old Jenny Lind bed frame turned bench. It is so beautiful but has so many grooves I have a huge mess. I had to wipe the hole piece down yesterday with a damp cloth just to remove the gunk it left behind. There was absolutely no scraping this stuff off. It dried and hardened. Do you think the alcohol would work for this piece with all the spindles and grooves? And can you buy that alcohol at Walmart? Thank you. I am hoping to get this done soon. Such a headache
Hi Sheena! From my experience, it should work to remove the gummy gunk and at least make it harden enough so that you can sand it down. Yes, Walmart should sell it in the aisle where you find the caulk and paint. If you live in a hot/humid climate, I’m betting that played a factor in the paint stripping process. The same happened to me.
I’ve been through the same awful mess with Citri-Gel too. It’s awful! I’ve even tried covering it with plastic wrap and leaving it overnight so it could work longer. It did an “ok” job on my stir handail but then scrapping all the gunk off was the worst!thankfully, i only tried it on a small section. Then another furniture remaker buddy of mine told me to try Blue Bear Soy Gel Stripper. You can use it inside. I live in SE Florida and need the AC to be able to work. It doesnt smell bad, worked pretty quickly and came off much better than CitriStrip!! I think it’s getting more popular now but when I bought a few years ago, no one around me sold it so I had to have it shipped. I think I might have seen it Home Depot recently. Here’s a link to it so you can read about it. https://products.franmar.com/products/paint-urethane-stripper-soy-gel
Now YOU are MY angel!!! I Googled “Citristrip is gooey” and this article was #2 in line. I still have to do the work, but the alcohol definitely cuts through the goo!!! I’m using steel wool soaked in it, and then drying with a rag. Very spindly chairs, so lots of work still to do!
WOOHOO!! Sticky stuff has to go. Good luck on the remainder of your project!
I found this article right in the nick of time! I was going to slather on the Citristrip last night and let sit over night to get the varnish off an old dresser that I’m up-cycling. Because of your article I used denatured alcohol instead and it was so fast and easy! Thank you for your insights and for making my project so much easier!
AWESOME, Megan!!
Your chair After everything was stripped off looks beautiful!!
Even areas that were not stripped with Citri strip and just had the old glaze, did the denatured alcohol take it down to that bare color as well!?!
Totally worked out, right?! No, sadly the denatured alcohol didn’t strip anything. The stripper did the dirty work for that part, but it was just the residue leftover that I couldn’t get off without the alcohol handling the gunky mess.
Hi! It looks great and I’m in the middle of fighting some post citrus-strip cabinet doors. I bought some denatured alcohol yesterday and I’m ready to give it a try. Can you explain how you applied the alcohol? Rag, scrubber, etc…and did you only have to wipe it off or scrub, etc…Any details would be much appreciated. Thanks!!
I just poured it on a rag and rubbed it into the wood and the gummy gunk solidified. It at least made it so I could sand the surface. Hoping it helps! I know what a pain it is!
Thank. You. So. Much. I was *this* close to torching the whole dining set.
HALLELUJAH! I do love CitriStrip but like many others can’t seem to finish a project with just Afterwash and/or mineral spirits! I think I just found the answer to my prayers…sounds like the denatured alcohol will do the trick for the detailed nooks & crannies on the legs of my antique French parquet dining table! On my way to the store now! Thanks for the awesome tip!
THANK YOU! I never replied to a blog before ever but you just saved my life. I spent half a day yesterday trying to sand off stubborn varnish with no success. I thought to myself I’m just gonna paint over it instead of white washing it to see the beautiful wood grain. But now You have given me hope. Thank you Lauren.
Tina
Yaaaaay! Hang in there! It gets better. 🙂
I agree!!! Same mess with a closet door I was painting white! I was saying, “What did I do? …forget to do? How do I clean this up? I’m headed to the store to buy the Alcohol now….just hope it’s safe for my health:)
Hi there. I realize this is an older post but I just found it and wanted to ask about the cane backing. Did you use the denatured alcohol there as well? I have some high-back cane chairs that I am wanting to lighten up a tad, including the cane. Thanks for any information you can provide.
Hi Michelle! No, I didn’t use it on the cane backing. I don’t think that can be stripped since it’s so thin.
OH MY GOODNESS! I’m having the exact same experience! I just came in to sit down after a second day of failed scrubbing off citristrip gel and it’s so demoralizing! I even tried to apply a 2nd coat of citristrip (and left overnight) as my second wholehearted attempt to strip this old late 18th century writing desk I had found. I tried a little bit of semi-paste old paint thinner that takes off varnish and left it on a few minutes on a sample piece – while it seemed way more efficient and fast at stripping than citristrip, it was still not ideal. My husband saw me sooooo frustrated after hours and hours of physical exertion and pointed me to your site! The next chance I go out I’m going to get some denatured alcohol and try it. Let you know what happens!
citris strip seems to work better on paint… i learned this because it was dripping onto my makeshift table that I painted and distressed, and it cut through, wait for it.. 5 layers of paint all the way to the wood. it is much more satifsfying too, scraping off the paint, versus scraping off the citris strip, which is so messy, and the smell brings back many frustrating memories.
I am googling this now, because I have sanded and stripped, and now I put on mineral sprits and it may have stained the wood. hopefully it will dry up overnight.
I know your comment is an old o e but I just wanted to say, I have tried the Citristrip a few times and every single time I ended up wanted to cry! I now just go straight for the kill with Kwik Strip. I buy it at Lowe’s. The Cirtristip just wasn’t heavy duty enough and left me, like you, using mire harsh chemicals in the end. I really don’t think there’s anyway to get around using a good stripper unless you just want to sand for hours and days. I also use a painters putty knife to revive what I can and then quickly use mineral spirits(the odorless kind)afterward to get the remaining varnish or paint off. Has worked like a dream for me.
I have just sanded down a antique 1920 chair down to bare wood. With the exception of the crevices where the ornate designs are carved. If I use the denatured alcohol can I use a wire rotary brush on my dremel to remove those hard to reach places ? Or will the friction and heat cause any harmful effects?
Thanks in advance.
Hi!! I wish I had a handy tutorial to help you. However, I was able to find this to share from Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/416020084309578242/
I’m hoping someone will answer because I’m stuck in the middle of the biggest disaster of a project. I too used citristrip to try and prep my cabinets for painting and then I bought stripper wash which is so incredibly toxic and its not even working well.
Should I do the remaining cabinets with the denatured alcohol? what do you wipe it or scrape it down with? do you need to use chemical resistant gloves?
I’m headed to the hardware store soon and would love to get any of the help I can get 🙂