Let's Bleach a Piece
Updated: Apr 26, 2022
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This week I did something I had never done before. I was a little nervous to try this on a piece because I didn't know what to expect, but I have been happily surprised with the outcome. I had to share with y'all because it is was so easy and there was nothing to worry about. Let's talk about the steps I took to bring out the beauty of this piece.
I completely cleaned off this piece with Krud Cutter, but did not worry to much about getting it spotless, because I knew that I would be planning to sand it. No need to do a deep scrub on a piece if you are about to sand.
I removed hardware and sanded down the piece with my surf prep . I used a 180 grit sandpaper to remove the finish, and followed with a light sanding with 220 grit paper to smooth it even more. Y'all I don't promote things unless I am actually in love with them! I love my surf prep sander. If you have questions, feel free to ask me. I worked for 3 years without a surf prep and I WISH I had purchased one sooner. It makes my life soooo much easier. If you are ready to jump in on this purchase, you can get a discount with my code: Prayed10 for 10% off.
Following sanding down all areas of the dresser to remove the finish, I dusted off the piece
and
wiped it down with a lint free cloth. (Heres a tip: I purchase my lint free cloths in the car department in a big box. They are affordable and hold up really well.)
I use these on almost every project I complete!
It was finally time to start bleaching my piece. Here we go!! It was actually much easier than I thought it would be. I purchased some household bleach, and a simple sponge.
When applying bleach, be sure to use gloves! I applied 3 different layers of bleach letting the sun dry the piece between each coat.
Here is after 1 coat of bleach:
After finishing the bleaching process, I then took a sponge with warm water and cleaned off the bleach. Make sure to switch out the water consistently.
I let everything dry well and sealed with a cerusing wax from Amy Howard Home. This wax helps to add the light color and decreases the chances of the furnture piece yellowing from the sealant.
I lightly sand the piece with a high grit sandpaper and then the piece was ready to go!!
Here's a reminder of the Before:
and here is the BEAUTIFUL AFTER!!!!
What do you think? Do you feel like you could refinish a piece like this? What questions do you have? Let me know below!!
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