How to Sand & Stain a Dresser

Place a drop cloth onto the floor in the center of a well-ventilated room. Move the dresser to the drop cloth and remove any drawers from the unit. Use a screwdriver to remove any hardware from the drawer fronts and set the hardware aside for later reattachment to the drawers.

Clean the surface of the wood on the dresser and drawer fronts using a sponge and wood cleaner formulated for use with the dresser's particular wood type. Rinse the wood with clean water and then pat the surfaces dry with a clean cloth.

Use a paintbrush to brush a gel-based chemical stripper over the finished surfaces of the dresser. These surfaces normally include the dresser front, rear and sides, as well as the fronts of the dresser drawers. Let the stripper sit in place for the time recommended by the manufacturer to dissolve the existing finish on the dresser.

Remove the stripper and finish with a rubber-edged putty knife. Scrape the stripper from the surface of the wood with the blade of the knife. Wipe the blade clean after each stroke with a piece of cloth as you proceed. Switch to #0000 steel wool when you reach areas of the dresser that are too difficult to reach with the knife blade or too detailed to get into. Rub the wool over the surface of these areas, wiping off stripper and finish both. Wash the wood again with the wood cleaner, rinse with clean water and pat dry.

Sand down any damaged areas of the wood with 150-grit sandpaper. Rub the sandpaper over the raised edges of gouges or scrapes until they're even with the rest of the wood surface. Fill any holes or gouges in the dresser with wood putty as close to the color of the wood of the dresser as possible. Allow the putty to dry for 2 hours and then sand the putty smooth with the surrounding wood.

Sand the remaining dresser surface with the sandpaper to remove any minor imperfections to the wood and to smooth the surface in anticipation of the new stain. Work in small circles, moving along with the grain of the wood to avoid leaving sanding marks or grooves in the surface of the wood. Wipe the surface clean with a tack cloth after sanding to remove any sanding residue and vacuum the work area to remove any dust that may float up into the stain during application.

Select a stain for use on the dresser. Water-based stains are low odor, quick drying and highly translucent, allowing the grain of the wood to show through the stain clearly. Oil-based stains have more depth of color, partially overwhelming the wood grain, but appearing more complex. The oil-based stain also takes longer to dry, thus longer to apply, and emits a strong, unpleasant odor, often making the workroom unlivable for a few days after use.

Apply the first layer of stain onto the dresser using a foam applicator. Brush the stain onto the wood in rows, following the line of the grain. Overlap the rows slightly to ensure that there are no gaps in coverage. Wipe away excess stain with a clean cloth, then allow the stain to dry. Consult the manufacturer's directions for drying time. Cover all visible surfaces on the dresser. There's no need to stain the inside of the dresser drawers.

Examine the stain after drying to determine whether it has the color and depth you desired. For more depth or a darker hue, apply an additional layer of stain and allow it to dry as well.

Cover the stain with a protective layer of polyurethane finish to absorb any light damage from normal wear and tear. Use a paintbrush to spread the finish over the stained wood. Follow along with the wood grain as you did with the stain, using overlapping rows for complete coverage. Wait 2 hours for the finish to dry, then apply a second coat. Allow that to dry for up to 72 hours before using the dresser as normal.