How to Refinish a Wood Table with Oven Cleaner (TikTok Hack)

Ever wondered how to refinish a wood table? Have you seen the Easy Off Hack all over Instagram and Tiktok like I have?!

In case you aren’t familiar, you can use Easy Off Oven Cleaner to strip old finishes from wood furniture.

SPOILER ALERT: It worked way better than I thought it would.

Before

Here is my new dining room table in the state it was when it came to me. Old and worn (and a little musty from garage-sitting), it definitely needed a little makeover. Here is how I removed the old finish using oven cleaner!

Materials used:

Removing the Old Finish

I started by spraying the table’s base with the Easy Off. I went pretty heavy-handed to make sure that every part was coated with the white foam. It can be difficult to sand these intricate details by hand, so I was excited to see how well it took the finish off of these details.

I let it sit for about 20-30 mins and then used a wire brush and the hose on a high-pressure setting to remove the Easy Off and the old finish. The wire brush really comes in clutch here. Be careful if doing this with soft wood, like pine, as the wire brush may be too abrasive and chew up your wood.

After removing all of the Easy Off, I let the table base sit in the sun the rest of the day (about 8 hours) to dry completely. This is where the magic happens. Once dry, the wood will lighten up at least two shades. AIn my case, there were still spots with old finish on them after drying but I planned on using sandpaper anyway. I removed these spots with a sander and 80 grit sand paper.

Sanding

For tough-to-reach areas with the sander, I hand-sanded with folded sandpaper to get in the nooks and crannies.

Usually, when I need to refinish a wood table top, I just use a sander. I did the same for this project for two reasons: 1. the finish was already so worn, I knew that it would basically fall right off as soon as the sander touched it. and 2. spraying the oven cleaner directly on the surface my kids would be eating from gave me the willies. I don’t avoid all *toxic* things (what isn’t toxic these days?!) but I try my best most of the time. It is also way easier to sand flat surfaces, so just keep that in mind when considering how you will be removing the finish of your tabletop. The Easy Off was such a big help in removing the finish from the more intricate base, however. Totally worth the effort as it saved me a lot of time.

Sealing

I used Varathane Triple Thick Water Based Polyurethane in a matte finish to seal, which is my favorite water-based poly. It is easy to apply, I don’t get any bubbles with it, and it has a very smooth finish without drips (if you are careful not to over-apply). The best part? Usually only one coat is needed. I might go back and do a second coat on the tabletop just in case (because…toddlers) but I definitely don’t need to).

I applied using my favorite affordable brush Wooster Shortcut (only $6).

There you have it! My new (but still old!) table has been the perfect addition to this room and I could not be happier with how it turned out. Would you ever use oven cleaner to refinish a wood table?

Are you curious about where anything in my dining room is from? Check here! I would love to chat via email or DM if you are curious about anything not listed. 

Did you catch my last furniture flip? This black hutch makeover is one you don’t want to miss!