How to Refinish Furniture With Water & Mildew Stains

Take steps to remove the water or mildew stain first before you commit to refinishing the piece of furniture. If the stain is still damp, use a hair dryer to dry out the wood. If this removes the stain, you will have no need to refinish.

Make a paste of vegetable oil and salt. Rub it gently into the water or mildew stain with a clean cloth rag. Let it sit for a few minutes, then rub it out and see if the stain has been removed.

Make sure the stain you are trying to remove is completely dry. Sand the stain with very fine steel wool, no rougher than grade 0 or 1. You can also use a very fine sandpaper to sand away the stain. Application of a wood floor cleaner or lemon oil may also help at this stage. Rub the sandpaper or steel wool, following the direction of the grain of the wood. If the stain comes out, try applying further lemon oil or polish before you decide to refinish the entire piece of furniture.

Test to see if your stain is water or mildew by dropping a single drop of bleach on it. If the bleach removes the stain, you have confirmed that you have a mildew stain. Always use rubber gloves when handling bleach.

To remove a mildew stain, mix trisodium phosphate or washing soda with water, using approximately five tablespoons of trisodium phosphate for every gallon of water. Use rubber gloves whenever handling trisodium phosphate; you may want to wear protective goggles as well. Clean the mildewed area carefully with the solution. Rinse the wood carefully with clean water to remove all the alkali from the solution. Allow the wood to dry completely before beginning any refinishing.

After removing all stains, assess whether your furniture needs refinishing, or whether simple oiling and polishing will restore its beautiful look. If you need to refinish, sand the area in need of refinishing with very find sandpaper. Bleach any remaining stains, then apply a light coat of white vinegar to remove any remaining bleach.

Sand once again very lightly to make sure the surface of the furniture is smooth. Apply a wood preservative before you refinish or paint. Let the wood dry completely before applying any stain, paint or finish.

Choose the final finish color and product. If you are refinishing a small area of damaged wood, match the color as exactly possible to the undamaged area. Apply the finish carefully, and let dry completely. After the wood is dry, apply lemon oil and polish the wood to protect it and bring out its beauty.