Last Updated on January 5, 2024
Recently I experienced the epic fail of letting Citristrip Paint & Varnish Stripping Gel dry on my latest furniture DIY restoration project.
And I take 100% of the blame. My old wood rocking chair was a mess – completely encrusted with Citristrip. While tempting as it was to just toss the chair, I persevered and eventually figured out a way to remove dried Citristrip from my old wood rocker.
Hopefully you will never find yourself in the same stripping gel mess, but if you do, you might want to read on…
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What is Citristrip Stripping Gel?
But first, a bit about this amazing stuff. Citristrip stripping gel is a powerful stripper that removes multiple layers of latex and oil-based paint, varnish, lacquer, enamel, polyurethane, shellac, acrylics and epoxy from wood, metal and masonry surfaces.
Whew! It can remove a lot of stuff! And all in one step!
What’s So Awesome about Citristrip?
Compared to traditional chemical stripper, Citristrip stripping gel is awesome in so many ways:
- Safe for indoor use (but still open windows for ventilation)
- No nasty methylene chloride (aka non-caustic)
- Pleasant citrus scent
- Biodegradable
- Thicker than typical strippers so clings better to vertical surfaces like table and chair legs
Admittedly it does work slightly slower than traditional stripper, but I don’t mind. I’ve used it a few times and have been successful – except this time….
Backstory
A few months ago I picked up a beautiful old Lincoln rocking chair for free. [BTW – Click here to learn the 7 Best Places to Find Vintage Furniture for Free.]
The wood appeared to be in great shape and at first didn’t appear to need stripping and re-finishing.
But once I got it home and took a closer look, I noticed chipped lacquer on a few places on the wood. Time to break out the Citristrip to strip down the chair.
First, I followed safety precautions by snapping on nitrile gloves and rocking some sexy safety glasses. I applied a layer of Citristrip to the rocker.
(In hindsight looking at this pic, I should have applied a thicker layer. But considering what happened next, I’m glad I didn’t!!)
As per directions, I checked on the rocker at intervals – 30 minutes, 1 hour, then 2 hours – but the laquer wasn’t bubbling (or as I like to call it – “frothy”). Bubbling indicates that Citristrip is doing its thing and working to separate layers of paint or finish from the wood surface.
Knowing my kids would wake up from their nap shortly, I wrapped the rocker in Saran wrap.
Wait, what?!?! Wrap it in Saran wrap? Yup.
Citristip is effective only when wet, so if you need to step away, cover it with plastic wrap prevents it from drying prematurely.
Here’s where everything went downhill. I had hoped to go back downstairs to the project later that night after the girls went to sleep. But no luck. Chaos reigned until the next day.
I’m a parent – the kids come first, right?
I was unable to return to my project until 2 days after I applied Citristip stripping gel to the rocker. And it didn’t look pretty. Dried Citristrip was encrusted all over the rocker.
I debated just throwing out the rocker. But I had already bought $80 worth of woven cane to fix the seats. I needed to find a fix. It didn’t have to be perfect, just needed to remove the gooey-sticky Citristrip.
Can You Leave Citristrip on Too Long?
As I proved above, yes you can leave Citristrip on too long. According to the manufacturer, Citristrip paint and varnish stripping gel will stay active and remove layers of unwanted paint and finish for up to 24 hours as long as it remains wet. If it dries out, then you end up in the same mess I did.
Disclaimer
Before we begin, I must add a disclaimer. I’m an average homeowner, novice furniture restoration DIYer. Please, please, please if you find yourself in a similar mess of dried Citristrip on wood, do your own research to determine the best method to rectify. And if you do try my method described below, first try it out in an inconspicuous spot.
Note that this method may not work to the extent where you can re-stain the chair. While I was successful in removing the gunked-on, dried Citristrip, I couldn’t re-stain the piece. I had to paint it. And I was ok with that. And you might have to be too…
How to Remove Dried Citristrip from Wood
I tried 3 different ways to remove dried Citristrip stripping from my rocker – first more Citristrip, then mineral spirits and last, After Wash. The first two didn’t work, but luckily After Wash did the job!
What is Paint Stripper After Wash?
In traditional uses, after wash is a solvent applied to furniture after undergoing the stripping process. (Honestly, I’m not sure if the generic term is “after wash” or just “wash”. I’ll just use “after wash” for this post.)
After wash removes any paint residue left from stripping, plus conditions the surface for paint, stain or topcoat. It can be used on wood, metal, or masonry, and is gentle enough for antiques and fine furniture.
Supplies (Shopping Links)
- Safety equipment – splash goggles/ safety glasses, chemical-resistant (nitrile) gloves, long pants and shirtsleeves
- Drop cloth
- Paint Stripper After Wash (I used Klean- Strip from Home Depot)
- Metal can
- Chipbrush
- Scraping tools – paint scraper, plastic putty knife, abrasive stripping pads, steel wool (size 00 or 000)
- Rags
- For crevices and detailed work – toothpicks, toothbrushes
- Sandpaper or sanding block, various grits
Instructions to Remove Dried Citristrip
Step 1 – Prep
Follow the safety precautions for after wash. This is some serious stuff, so please read the manufacturer’s safety recommendations. I recommend at a minimum safety equipment such as chemical-resistant gloves, safety glasses or goggles, and long sleeves and pants to avoid splash burns. And work outside to minimize exposure to harm fumes.
Step 2 – Apply
Shake the canister well. Pour about ½ cup into a metal container and apply after wash to the locations with dried Citristrip with a chipbrush.
In true parent fashion, I used the spaghetti and meatballs can from my kid’s dinner last night…
Step 3 – Scrub
Wait a few minutes, and then using one (or more) of the stripping tools listed above (aka plastic scrapper, abrasive stripper pad, or steel wool pads) start removing loosened Citristrip and old finish.
Most of the stripping tools require gently scraping in the direction of wood grain. Except the steel wool and toothbrush. Those you can rub in a circular motion like washing and waxing a car (any Karate Kid or Cobra Kai fans out there?).
I found using a combination of tools eventually removed the Citristrip. It wasn’t an exact science, just experimenting with the different stripping tools. Personally, I found the steel wool to work the best.
Repeat until you finally see a clean surface. In all honesty, it took me 2-3 sessions of applying after wash with a chipbrush and scrubbing with steel wool to finally remove all the old dried Citristrip and lacquer off the rocker.
Step 4 – Clean
Things get messy quick! Your stripping tools will get gunked up and gooey with old dried Citristrip and finish, so have a stack of old rags nearby to wipe them down.
Except steel wool, which was easier to throw out once gunked. I went through 2-3 packages of it! Be sure to stock up!
Note that all used rags need to be stored in a well-ventilated area. Allow the rags to dry outdoors before disposal in accordance with federal, state and local regulations to reduce the risk of fire.
Step 5 – Dry and Sand
Once all the Citristrip is removed, wipe down furniture with a clean cloth and then let completely dry before sanding. Depending on the condition of the wood, you may need to do a start with a coarser grit (120 or 150) before a final sanding with a 220 grit. Be sure to sand in the direction of the grain.
I prefer to hand sand furniture with a combination of sanding blocks and regular sandpaper cut to fit my finger. For more tips on sanding check out HGTV’s How to Sand Furniture Before Painting.
Step 6 – Dust
Dust with a soft cloth, and wa-lah! Ready for refinishing.
Here’s my chair after going through the after wash and sanding process.
Admittedly it’s far from perfect. There is a lot of uneven stain color. But it did what I needed – a chair with no more gunked-on, dried Citristrip.
Better than the alternative of just throwing it out, right?
Finished Chair
Curious what happened the rocking chair once I removed all the gooey Citristrip? Well, here’s a pic – I painted it with an Amulent ceramic paint recommended by one of furniture restoration friends and replaced the cane seat and back. Not bad for an amateur, eh?
Well, onto my next mistake, whoops I mean project LOL. Make sure you don’t do this when you clean brass plated hardware….
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