Brighten up your old table
Dark oak table gets a fresh start! Sanding and lye turn it into a dining-room showpiece
A darkened oak table brightens up with sanding. A lye treatment keeps the table’s finish clear, and wood soap repels dirt. Blogger Katja Rinkinen shows how.
Lightening an oak table—supplies:
wooden table
sander and sandpaper, grit 60 and 180
Auro hardwood or softwood lye
canister, plastic bucket, and rubber gloves
respirator and protective goggles
wide synthetic paintbrush
red scouring pad
vacuum
cotton rag and protective plastic
Auro wood soap, white or uncolored.
Lightening a wooden table—instructions:
- Sand the wooden table down to bare wood. Begin with coarse sandpaper (60 grit) and finish with fine sandpaper (180 grit). Aim to remove all paint, oil, or wax from the surface.
- Thoroughly mix the lye in a canister, then pour a small amount into a bucket. Wear protective gear and watch out for splashes. Protect the floor. Carefully brush the lye onto the table’s surface.
- Once the surface has dried for 4–24 hours, lightly sand again with a red scouring pad or fine sandpaper (180 grit). Vacuum off the dust thoroughly.
- Vacuum and wipe all dust from the sanded surface. Dilute the wood soap in a ratio of one part soap to ten parts water.
- Brush the soap solution onto the table, working one area at a time. Let it dry for 15 minutes and wipe off any excess with a rag. Repeat three times, allowing a full day to dry between each coat. You only need a small amount of the wood soap solution for each application.
Sanding gives the surface a fresh, light look. The lye keeps the wood from turning yellow.
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