How to Remove Citristrip Residue from Wood Furniture
There is nothing more annoying in the DIY furniture makeover world than removing the gross sticky residue after using a chemical stripper on wood furniture. Choice words have been said around here.
Remember back when Robert and I stripped old paint from our fireplace mantle and I was in love with the Citristrip gel we used? The fresh citrus scent makes stripping paint so much more bearable than other types of paint strippers.
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.)
When to Use Citristrip
Citristrip CAN be the best way to remove oil-based paint or layers of dried latex paint from a piece of furniture. But sometimes you’re left with Citristrip residue that is extra stubborn to remove after taking off an old finish.
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.
However, I won the battle! So here’s how I fixed the issue.
Makeover: Designer Knock Off No Sew Dining Chairs
Most Effective Furniture Stripper
For removing oil-based paint and varnish, use Dumond Smart Strip instead. It is a much more powerful formula than Citristrip.
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.
Related: How to Refinish Wood Furniture Without Stripping
How to Remove Citristrip Dried Residue
I searched high and low through resource after resource to figure out the easiest way to fix the dried Citristrip 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 the varnish stripping gel. 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. Hot 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. It was the best result. Saying a little prayer for patience probably helped too.
So after a good wipe down of denatured alcohol and using steel wool on the flat surfaces and 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.
Related: How to Clean Wood Furniture to Make It Look New
How to Use Citristrip for Best Results
Here are some helpful tips to use Citristrip with good results next time:
- Protect your work area with a large drop cloth
- Wear protective gear such as safety glasses and chemical resistant gloves
- Apply a thick layer of Citristrip (don’t hold back)
- Cover the stripper with saran wrap and let it sit for at least 30 minutes
- Begin paint stripping with a plastic putty knife or plastic scraper
- Wipe away paint stripper residue with a paper towel or clean cloth
- Repeat the process with a second coat if needed when removing thick layers of paint
- Clean off remaining residue with odorless mineral spirits or Paint Stripper After Wash
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.
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!!
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’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
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.
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?