How to Redo Old Dressers

Remove any hardware from the dresser and clean it using your usual household cleaner. Set the dress on a tarp or plastic sheet to protect your work surface. Ensure it is clean and dry before proceeding.

Apply a paint stripper or chemical peeler to the furniture using a disposable bristle brush. Only use paint peelers that are suitable for the type paint or finish you are removing. Allow it to sit on the surface for the time recommended by the manufacturer. The finish will get a wrinkled look when it is ready.

Scrape away the old finish using a putty knife. Use a rounded putty knife or plastic putty knife to avoid nicking the wood while you work. Do not gouge into the surface, keep the knife as flush as possible.

Wash away the stripper with plain water or a mineral spirits -- as recommended by the manufacturer. Mineral spirits work with oil-based strippers and water for water-based. Use a fine steel wool dipped in the wash to smooth surface as you work.

Fill any nicks in the wood with a wood fill compound. Allow it to set.

Sand the wood's surface using 120-grit sandpaper and working up to 150-grit. Brush or vacuum off all the sand dust.

Rub a stain into the wood using a rag using a circular motion. When finished rubbing in the stain, give it a final rub with the grain of the wood so the stain all sits in the same directions. Allow the stain to sit on the wood for 10 minutes and then rub off the stain with a new cloth. Allow the stain to dry completely then replace the hardware.