How to Re-Stain Wood Kitchen Cabinets

While well made wood kitchen cabinets are never outdated, the finish of cabinetry will often indicate their age. Dark stained wood and honey colored wood both represent specific periods in kitchen interior design; you can update the appearance of your kitchen by re-staining the kitchen cabinets.

Step 1: Remove the doors and associated hardware from each cabinet. Place the hardware for each door in a small bag, labeled so it can easily be matched to the corresponding door. You should also note where each door is located in the kitchen cabinets for easy re-installation.

Step 2: Remove any drawers and the associated hardware. Label the hardware with the correct corresponding drawer.

Step 3: Apply a gel stripper to the surface of the cabinetry with a paintbrush. Lay the doors flat on a sawhorse or other elevated area: paint a coat of gel stripper onto the doors as well. Also cover the front of the drawers with the gel stripper. Allow the gel stripper to work on the cabinetry for about 10 minutes. You should be able to see that the surface of the kitchen cabinets have started to soften.

TIP: Do not allow the stripper to dry onto the kitchen cabinets. You may have to work in sections in order to have enough time to remove the stripper from the kitchen cabinets.

Step 4: Use a scraper to remove the old stripper. Work with the grain. For stubborn patches, reapply another layer of stripper over the stained areas, wait, then remove the stain.

TIP: Make sure to wear gloves, eye protection, and a face mask to protect yourself when working with the stripper.

Step 5: Remove any smaller areas of built up stain with steel wool. You can dip the steel wool into the stripper for extra power, always working with the grain.

Step 6: Clean the surface of the wood with mineral spirits to remove any residue. Let all of the kitchen cabinets dry completely before continuing.

Step 7: Sand the surface of the newly stripped wood with a fine grit sandpaper. Clean off any dust from the surface of the wood with a tack cloth.

Step 8: Apply a coat of stain to the surface of the kitchen cabinets, the kitchen cabinet doors, and the kitchen cabinet drawers. Always apply with the grain of the wood, and maintain a wet edge for even application. Allow the stain to dry for eight hours.

Step 9: Apply another coat of stain. After this coat has dried, apply two coats of polyurethane, allowing for enough drying time between each coat. Wait 24 hours.

Step 10: Reassemble the kitchen cabinets, using the labeled hardware and a screwdriver.