How to Make Deck Stain Lighter

Wood stains are transparent coloring products that are designed to change the color of the wood to which they are applied while still allowing the natural grain of the wood to show through. The more coats of stain you apply to the wood, the darker the resulting tint will generally be. At the end of the project, you may find that you've darkened the wood too much for your tastes. Fortunately, this problem can be remedied by applying special bleach products to the stained areas.

Things You'll Need

• Dry calcium hypochlorite
• Bucket
• Rubber gloves
• Rag mop

Show More

Instructions

1. • 1

     Put on your rubber gloves.

   • 2

     Fill your bucket with hot water. Dissolve calcium hypochlorite into the water until no more can be dissolved. This is called a "saturated" mixture.

   • 3

     Dip your rag mop into the saturated calcium hypochlorite (chlorine bleach) mixture, and then apply the mixture to the deck stain with the mop. Cover the entire area you wish to lighten with the chlorine bleach.

   • 4

     Allow the solution to dry overnight. The chlorine bleach should remove or lighten most of the stain over a 24-hour period.