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.
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.
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
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, 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. 😉
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.