How to Remove a Blush Stain Lacquer Finish

When lacquer finishes dry too quickly, the oils in the lacquer will absorb moisture from the air, which causes cloudy white splotches to appear in the finished product. This is known as "blushing" and the only surefire way to correct this problem is to strip the finish completely and start over. There is nothing special about removing the lacquer finish from a blushed piece of furniture — you just need some denatured alcohol, which is commonly used to strip lacquer and shellac.

Screwdrivers
Worktable or sawhorses
Clean cloths
Denatured alcohol
Paint scraper
Scrub brush
0000-grade steel wool

Instructions

- 1
  Move the piece of furniture to a well-ventilated workspace. If there are removable parts, such as drawers, doors and hardware, remove them and set them aside. Place the doors and drawers on a worktable or sawhorses.
- 2
  Pour a small amount of denatured alcohol on a clean cloth. Dab the alcohol onto the lacquer finish until the entire piece of furniture is covered. Allow the alcohol to sit for about 10 minutes. Dab more alcohol on the wood as it dries.
- 3
  Peel the finish from the wood, scraping with a paint scraper. Avoid using metallic scrapers. Hold the scraper at a 30-degree angle against the wood and push forward to remove the finish.
- 4
  Dab more alcohol on stubborn parts of the finish. For areas you can't reach with the scraper, use a small scrub brush or a piece of 0000-grade steel wool.
- 5
  Wipe the wood with a damp cloth to remove any streaks of thinned finish. This will also help remove some of the alcohol. Allow the piece of furniture to dry completely before attempting to refinish. Rub an emery cloth lightly over the oxidized areas to remove the green discoloration on the pipe. Avoid vigorous scrubbing to prevent thinning.

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