Wood bleaching

[Jay]

Hi There, to all you hunkie DIYers out there.

I have stripped down furniture and it now need to be bleached. I went off to the local diy shop and found Rustins wood bleach at £11 for two small bottles, and I doubt this will be enough for the job. It does seem a little expensive for hydrogen peroxide so I was wondering if there's a much cheaper way of doing this? If anyone has done the wood bleaching before and it's worked without spending a fortune, I would be grateful for and the recipe please.

BTW, I have made a excellent job stripping the furniture as it's my first attempt, so let hope the next stage goes well with your help ;)

Thanks in advance Jayne

[Steve Firth]

I had a wooden boat tiller had a fine growth of mould that discolored the surface. I bleached it using Domestos, washed it, let it dry then stained it and varnished it. It's been in use for five years in all sorts of weather and still looks like new.

[Andy Dingley]

It is.

There are three sorts of wood bleach:

- Hypochlorite (Steve's Domestos). Good for shifting gunge, poor at changing the colour of the wood itself.

- Hydrogen peroxide. The only one that really addresses the colour of the wood itself (now is this really what you want ?). Only works in an alkaline environment and needs a grease-free surface, so the first bottle is merely sodium hydroxide, which fixes both.

Peroxide wood bleach isn't a big seller, and it doesn't store well. So don't buy old stock, or you'll just have bought an inflated bottle of plain water.

- Oxalic acid. Useful for reducing iron stain on oak (and many old inks were based on iron tannates, so it shifts ink stains too). Also useful for taking the grey out of weathered timber. May be bought as "Barkeeper's Friend" or (mixed with detergents / sugar soap) as patio / decking cleaner.

You can buy any of these cheaply in bulk, and brew your own bleaches. But experiment first.

-- Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods

[Norman Billingham]

And remember that oxalic acid is very toxic indeed

[Huge]

And do not mix anything acidic with sodium hypochlorite. Chlorine gas is very toxic indeed, too.

[stuart noble]

A little peroxide goes a long way and IIRC the Rustins is very concentrated. Part A will darken the wood horribly, especially hardwood. Part B will correct this, and lighten it still further, but the effect is not apparent until the wood is *completely* dry. Don't be tempted to apply a second coat of B. I find the following gives best results: You *will* need a pair of Marigold type gloves throughout, and ideally a 2" synthetic bristle brush. Apply part A, leave to dry, then give it a quick rub down with fine abrasive (wear a mask). Thoroughly wash the brush in water. Decant some of part B into a plastic container, dilute 1-1 with water, and apply quickly and evenly. After a couple of minutes, re-brush, and remove any foam or puddles with a kitchen towel. Run the towel under the tap before binning. Don't return unused B to the original container. DO mind your fingers!

[Jay]

"stuart noble" cheaper

concentrated.

_____________

Thank you all for your advise!! With all the diffrent types of acids it does sound a bit scary and technical for me, I will most probably blow the house up knowing me. I will stop being an old miser and buy the rustins, and I will let you all know the outcome.

I have made a big effort to do a good job of this project, 'to my husband surprise'!!. What my husband says about my diy skills "if you can't do a proper job, then bosh it", about sums me up, :(( arrrr... but I can make a wicked curry :))

Jayne

[stuart noble]

All you need remember is that there is a strong chemical reaction between the 2 parts which should only take place on the wood. Put them in a bottle together and you might well blow something up. Wash rags, brushes etc straight after use and keep it off your hands, even when the furniture is touch dry. I hope it does the job for you but bear in mind that it does not affect any stains or varnishes left from the original finish. It only lightens the wood itself. With d-i-y stripping the gloomy look is often the residue of the old finish that has been driven into the grain.