Hello there my wonderful friends! I’ve been seeing so many people use oven cleaner on furniture so I decided to give it a try. Here’s how my junkyard table turned out with just oven cleaner and what I’ll do differently next time.
How my junkyard table turned out with just oven cleaner!
Before photo of the junkyard table
Do you know what I mean when I say “use oven cleaner”? People all over social media have used it to strip the stain from furniture pieces. At first I thought they were joking. Oven cleaner? Then I saw Natalie from My Vintage Porch do it and I was all in. She made it look super easy.
A few years ago I found this antique table at an architectural salvage place for twenty bucks. My bestie found it first but when she decided against it, it came home with me. I didn’t love the color (it was almost like paint and stain mixed together) but loved the shape, size and details. And you know I’m into junk so I still used it. Like in this Christmas post.
Oven cleaner sprayed on table after 4 minutes
I sat the table outside on the back porch and gave it a good dusting. Sprayed it thoroughly with Easy Off oven cleaner making sure it was in every nook and cranny then waited for the magic to happen. Not sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t what I saw. I was quite disappointed. I had let it sit about 20 minutes then sprayed it off with the water hose.
This is what it looked like after I hosed it off and let it sit in the sun for about 10 minutes. Sorry I didn’t take a photo of me hosing it off. Didn’t really think you needed to see that. And I had no fun music playing in the background.
Some of you might think I shouldn’t have hosed it off because wood swells when wet. It was 108 degrees that day and I wasn’t going to be outside more than I had too plus the quick shower I got from the hose was nice.
Here’s what it looked like up close after drying for about 2 hours. Still not what I expected. I was grouchy and mentioned to my daughter that I wasn’t going to post this flip to flop. She said do it again – it can’t get worse. So I sprayed it again with the oven cleaner. The second coat emptied the can.
The mister came outside and said I should use steel wool while I was washing it off the second time around. Even though the second coat of oven cleaner took off the rest of the stain, I feel like the steel wool or my frustrations scratched it up. Maybe it’s a softer wood or maybe I shouldn’t have used the steel wool. Either way, it looks much better than it did when I started the project.
Here’s how my junkyard table turned out with just oven cleaner!
If you don’t know this about me yet, I am impatient when it comes to DIY or crafting. I like immediate gratification. With that said, I didn’t use the sander on it like I was told nor did I add a clear wax on it like suggested. I gave it a small amount of furniture polish and instead, placed it in the entry so we could use it for mail, keys, purses, etc.
What do you think? I will go ahead and sand it when it’s cooler outside and I plan to put a clear wax on it as well. But for now, I love it and will totally do this again if ever needed. What I won’t do next time is not wear gloves. That burned and hurt for a while. Other than that, I can hardly wait to find another junkyard piece to spray! Hope you give it a try. And even though I used the name brand oven cleaner, I believe the generic brand will work just fine.
Is there advantage to using oven cleaner instead of stripper?
Author
Stripping is definitely better than sanding because it gets in the more intricate details but you still need to scrape it off. With the oven cleaner, it does the same thing as a stripper but with less mess since you can hose it off. Thanks for the visit today Vicky!
What brand of oven cleaner did you use?
Author
Sorry, I put a link in there but forgot to add the name. I used Easy Off brand but I believe the generic brand will work just as well. Just keep in mind this small table took one entire can so if you have a larger piece, get more than one can. Hope that helps. Thank you Claudia.
That is stunningly beautiful – great job
Author
You are so sweet Andrea, thanks so much!
What a CUTE table!! It turned out so good!! That’s the kind of table that can be used in so many different rooms or for different purposes. Love it!
Author
I agree Rachel! It has become a favorite for me because it’s so versatile.
I think it looks beautiful….. About 26 years ago, I bought a round oak table at the flea
market that had been in a fire and was covered with black smoke stains. It was not an antique
but it was attractive and just what I wanted. The seller told me it would clean off easily with
oven cleaner and that’s what I used and it worked well. It looked like it had never been black,
I’ve forgotten if I used any sealer on the wood.
Later, when I got another antique dining table, my daughter wanted it, and loves it.
Appreciate your sense of humor and glad you could cool off in that heat while hosing off you and table.
Author
I’ve passed on a couple of corbels because they were covered in black stuff from a fire. Wish I would have known about the oven cleaner back then. Sounds like you made a fantastic purchase Joan. Thank you for letting us know!
That is a beautiful old table, and I have been thinking of using the oven cleaner too. Thanks Cindy, I think it looks so much better.
Author
Try it Marlene. You will be so surprised at how it turns out. After the second coat and fully drying, I just kept saying – no way, no way! Thank you sweet friend.
I love this “scrubbed” look. I hear you on projects that take a long time and require a lot of elbow grease. It’s a beautiful little desk, and it looks great with your other pieces!
Author
Thanks Debra! I thought it was a desk because it has a pencil groove at the back as well as the storage but changed my mind thinking it was awfully ornate for a desk but obviously, what do I know?! So fancy. 🙂
I have to say I like how it came out. First time hearing about oven cleaner to strip. It is a cute little side table. Perfect to move about your house when you need too. I am kinda thinking about trying it out on a old night stand I have.
Author
If your night stand is all wood, I would recommend it in a heartbeat! I’m trying to find something else to work on as well. Although, nothing else is going to fit inside this house! Thanks so much.
Look great Cindy. I’ve been wanting to try this myself as well but scared it will flop. You’ve inspired me. I love your little table. So many great details. Thank you! XO- MaryJo
Author
MaryJo, if I can do it, ANYONE can do it! You will seriously be amazed at the turn out and then start looking for more things to spray! Not kidding! 🙂
Lol, omg, you sound like me with crafting and diy-ing. GIve me instant gratification any day, vs the time, trouble and material it takes to diy or craft. That said, your table actually turned out well, I think, esp if you put a clear wax on it (back to my original statement). It’s also worth noting that I bought a small sander in June. I was planning to sand and refinish a couple of vintage folding deck chairs for my garden bistro look. Then I found those chairs I bought at Big Lots, and on sale. No brainer. I should probably take the sander back, lol.
Author
Ha, I’ve done that! Although I kept the sander and it still hasn’t been used. Glad it’s not just me. 😉 Thanks Rita.
I think it looks great. I have a few pieces I need to try this with. Thanks for sharing this great tip
Author
You’re welcome Melinda! Happy to sacrifice myself for the good of refurbisher’s. 😉
Looks great Cindy! Thanks for the Easy Off tip! xo laura in Colorado
Author
My pleasure Laura. Hope you give it a try.
In all the years I’ve been upcycling furniture I have never heard of using oven cleaner to remove stain. You Have piqued my curiosity and heck now I have to give this a try! The table looks fabulous, Cindy! An alternative to wax for protecting the wood is hemp oil. I use Miss Mustard Seed’s brand but Fusion makes one too.
Author
Oh my goodness Marie, I can hardly believe you haven’t heard of the oven cleaner method! You will love it. Thanks for the Hemp Oil idea. I will try and find that.
I’ve heard of the oven cleaner method and can’t get past the idea, Cindy. Oven cleaner is so toxic and I really love my Citristrip! The table does look great and tung oil is another option I’ve used for finishing.
Author
I get it Ann. The fumes are terrible. Thankfully, it wasn’t that bad doing it outside. I’ll have to try the Citristrip next time. Thanks for the helpful info!
Wow! This looks amazing. I’ve never heard of using oven cleaner before.
Author
Really? I thought I was late to the oven cleaner party. If you ever need to quickly remove stain (and I hear it works on paint too), give it a try!
Your table really looks so much better, and I’m going to give it a try on a little table next time the Mister is out of town. 😉
Author
Thank you Michelle. I do the same thing – wait until the Mister is out of town. Sometimes it’s just easier all around. HA!
I have always wanted to try this Cindy! I know it might have been frustrating at first but I love the way it all came together. The wood looks so rich and warm now. You’ve totally convinced me, I’m officially on the hunt! Hugs, CoCo
Author
I’m on the hunt too. I just might spray everything in the house, I love it so much! Good luck. I know whatever you do will be fabulous.
Cindy, I think I may have heard of using oven cleaner as a stripper years ago! I wonder if someone found that out by accident… Anyway, I’m glad the second coat worked better! I’ve always just got out the sander and sanded varnish and stain off. Stripper always seemed like it was too much and smelly, lol! Your table looks beautiful and now you have a clean table with a new finish!! Happy to feature your post at tonight’s Share Your Style #356 for you. <3
Happy Wednesday!
Barb 🙂
Author
I saw the feature before I saw this comment and was nicely surprised. Thank you so much! I do love the table but still have to go over it with either wax or something. Everyone and their dog will be outside this weekend – enjoy!
I’m happy I stumbled on your blog tonight. I’ve never heard of Oven Cleaner used as wood stripper. I have a little cabinet that I will try this on. Thanks for sharing. Your table looks great.
Thelma.
Author
Aww Thelma, thank you so much. How did you find me? I’m always curious about that. Hope you have a wonderful weekend and I’m glad you visited the blog. 😉