Think about sealing your cabinets after staining.

This is an optional step that helps protect the wood and prevents the stain from wearing off.

The stain product will seamlessly blend with your current stain.

Wood Kitchen Cabinets

Jacek Kadaj / Getty Images

confirm to sand the top layer to produce a rough finish sufficiently.

This will help the stain product stick to the surface better.

After sanding, test your new stain by applying it to an inconspicuous spot.

Materials needed for staining cabinets

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Allow the stain to dry completely to see how the finished project will look.

Wiping the stain immediately or within a few minutes of applying it will result in a lighter color.

Use a liquid paint stripper, scraper, steel brush, and sandpaper to remove the paint.

Removing hardware from wood cabinets before staining

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Any remaining paint will shed the stain product and show through.

Safety Considerations

Work in a well-ventilated area and use breathing protection.

Move the removed cabinet doors and drawers to a protected outdoor area.

Removing hinges from cabinets

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Indoors, open windows and use fans to expel air.

Do not blow air into the room, as this can cause dust to settle on the finished surfaces.

With most fixtures, the screws are accessed on the back side of the doors or drawer fronts.

Placing a wood cabinet door on a flat surface

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Tip

If you plan on reusing hardware, place them in plastic bags.

Use one bag per piece of hardware along with its screws.

Identify the location on the front of the bag with an indelible marker.

Cleaning the cabinet door surface with TSP

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Remove Cabinet Doors

Remove Door Fronts and Drawers

Remove all drawers.

If possible, remove the drawer fronts from the drawer boxes.

Concentrate on areas near handles and knobs.Deep clean these areaswith mineral spirits.

Deep cleaning crevices and stains on wood cabinets

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Be sure to use mineralspirits, not mineraloil.

Sand Surfaces

Place the220-grit sandpaperon a sanding block and lightly sand down all flat surfaces.

Apply Stain

Only use high-quality brushes.

Sanding the surface of the wooden cabinet

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Lower quality brushes can leave bristles behind on the work surface.

Because the stain product is tacky, it is difficult to remove the stray bristles.

You do not have to seal cabinets after staining, but it is recommended for easier maintenance.

Using tack cloth to dust the cabinet door

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Applying sealant keeps the stain looking nice longer and is easier to keep clean.

Most cabinets will look best with at least two coats of stain.

However, not all types of wood can absorb multiple coats.

Applying wood stain to a cabinet with a brush

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

How long you leave a stain on wood depends on how dark you’d like it to be.

Let’s solve your cabinet conundrum.

Applying a second coat of stain to the wood cabinet door

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Replacing the hinges on the cabinet door

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Adding the pulls back onto the cabinets

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly