Refinishing a dresser is a great way to bring new life back into an old piece of furniture. With some time, patience and the right supplies, you can give your dresser a beautiful makeover. There are countless methods for refinishing furniture, but for those looking for an eco-friendly option, using low VOC products is the way to go.

In this blog post, we’ll look at how to refinish a dresser using low VOC products that won’t harm the environment or your health.

Learn more about refinishing furniture here!

photo of high end Henredon dresser before makeover

This Henredon, high end dresser needed an update. It had scratches on the finish, and I just wanted a lighter look.

But, it’s freezing outside, so I wanted to stick to only low VOC products that I could indoors.

One of the biggest benefits to refinishing a dresser with low VOC products is that they are much less toxic than conventional finishes.

Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) products are safer for people and pets, since they don’t emit noxious odors or dangerous fumes.

Also, low VOC products is also better for the environment since they contain fewer harmful compounds that can end up in our waterways.

Table of Contents

Supplies for Refinishing a Dresser

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Screwdriver
Stripwell QCS (Use code SUNLIGHT10 to get 10% off your order of Stripwell QCS!)
Plastic Scraper
0000 Steel Wool
Gloves
Paper Towels
220 Grit Sandpaper (Use code RAY10 to get 10% off your order)
Power Sander (Use code RAY10 to get 10% off your order)
Shop Vacuum
Tack Cloth
Waterbased Pre-Stain
Waterbased Wood Stain
Zibra Fan Paint Brush
Lint Free Rags
Varathane Polyurethane
Zibra Topcoat Brush
400 Grit Sandpaper

Grab our list of 10 must have supplies for painting furniture too!

How to Refinish a Dresser

Instead of buying a new piece, refinishing allows you to transform your outdated or worn-out dresser into a stylish and functional addition to your home.

While it may seem like a daunting task, refinishing a dresser is actually a simple process that can be completed with just a few basic tools and materials.

First, we removed the old hardware with a screwdriver and then dove right into the process of lightening up this dresser.

Wood Stain Remover

I tested a new to me product to remove the finish on the top. It’s called Stripwell QCS, and it’s a simple and safe, but effective stripper.

My goal with this makeover was to use safe products that wouldn’t stink up my house or harm me. And that’s exactly what Stripwell’s QCS is.

They advertise that it is great for vintage furniture… and I wasn’t sure that this dresser really qualified. So I wanted to test it out first.

spraying stripwell qcs on dresser drawers

Sure enough, it worked just as advertised.

Check out my Stripwell QCS review to learn more.

(Use code SUNLIGHT10 to get 10% off your order of Stripwell QCS!)

So, I continued on with the project and wrapped all of the drawers in plastic to keep the wood stain and stripper from getting all over them.

And we laid the dresser on some buckets so I could work on it easier.

How to Use Stripwell QCS

I sprayed a coat of stripper all over the dresser… in hindsight I should have worked in sections instead of taking on the whole thing at once… but it ended up alright.

I waited 15 minutes, and then sprayed on another coat and waited another 15 minutes.

And then I used a plastic scraper to remove the stain. I was so happy with how easy most of it came off!

Then I used 0000 grit steel wool with some QCS on it to scrub off the stubborn spots and clean it all off.

I’ve used other chemical strippers in the past, and this stuff did just as well as the others!

Check out this other post on How to Remove Wood Stain to see another option.

The vertical surfaces were a little bit more of a challenge. I had put plastic on them to keep the stripper from running off, but I think the plastic wrap in this case made it worse.

I had to spray another coat of stripper on these sides before I could get most of the stain off.

So in the future I would just skip the plastic wrap.

I repeated my process for each section.

Scrape, spray some 0000 steel wool with the Stripwell QCS so I could scrub any remaining gunk off, spray a little more QCS on, and then wipe it all down with paper towels.

That’s it.

This stuff isn’t flammable, and it’s almost completely non-toxic.

It took me 3 hours to remove all of the wood stain from this dresser, and I barely had a tiny bit of the stripper left when I was done. Not going to lie, I was worried that I was going to run out.

Sanding After Stripping Wood

Then I let the dresser dry.

The next day it was completely dry.

Then I sanded the dresser with 220 grit sandpaper and my SurfPrep Sander, being careful especially on the edges to not sand too much.

Read this post to learn more about Best Sanders for Furniture.

I didn’t know if this dresser was made with wood veneer, and I didn’t want to chance it.

I also sanded with the wood grain. So, see all those lines in the wood? I stayed in line with those.

sanding the wood in the direction of the wood grain

how to stain wood furniture with Waterbased Stain

Sticking with the safe, low VOC theme of this project, I chose to stain it with waterbased wood stain.

First I wiped the dresser down with a tack cloth to remove all of the dust.

Then I removed all of the drawers again, and wiped on some water based pre-stain.

This stuff helps the wood absorb the stain more evenly.

I followed the instructions on the can, wiping off the excess after a few minutes and then waiting for it to fully dry.

Then I used a Zibra fan brush to brush on the wood stain.

I brushed it on thick and quickly, and in the direction of the wood grain.

Waterbased wood stain starts drying quickly, so I like to apply it only with the direction of the wood grain if it dries too fast.

After it was on one section, I immediately wiped off the excess with lint free rags until the stain looked even.

I let it dry for 3 hours.

Topcoating Stained Wood

And then I topcoated the stain.

I used my favorite waterbased polyurethane and a zibra topcoat paint brush.

I could have also used a foam sponge to apply the polyurethane.

And then I brushed the polyurethane on in long brush strokes, trying not to go over it much at all. This stuff dries fast, so if you go back over it 30 seconds later, it can make it look streaky and foggy.

Here are some more tips for How to Apply Polycrylic to Painted Furniture.

We needed 3 coats of polyurethane to protect our dresser as much as possible.

Check out my comparison between polycrylic vs polyurethane here.

I’m assuming that it will get a lot of use, and without the topcoat, it would easily get scratched… and it would be hard to clean.

Do you Need to Sand Between Coats of Polyurethane?

I let the polyurethane dry for a couple of hours between coats, and then before the last coat, I felt the surface, and it was slightly rough.

Waterbased products raise wood grain, making it feel slightly rough, so I sanded everything with 400 grit sandpaper to make it all feel smooth.

Then I applied a last coat of polyurethane. I let it dry overnight, and then I put the hardware back on…

Check out the video of this makeover here, or scroll down to see the final results!

And here’s what it looks like now!

How to Refinish a Dresser

Refinish furniture without using harmful, stinky products. Here's how to refinish a dresser with low-VOC products.

Materials

Tools

Instructions

Remove the hardware.
Use the Stripwell QCS to remove the old wood stain. Spray it on, and wait 15 minutes. Repeat until the wood stain is loose.
Use a plastic scraper to remove the wood stain. Use QCS and 0000 steel wool to remove the stubborn spots. Wipe with paper towel.
Let dry.
Sand with 220 grit sandpaper and power sander to smooth out the wood and finish removing any stubborn stain.
Remove dust, apply a coat of pre-stain wood conditioner. Remove excess and let dry.
Apply waterbased wood stain in the direction of the wood grain. Remove excess with lint free rag. Let dry completely.
Brush on the waterbased topcoat. Apply 3 coats.
Let dry completely and for at least 24 hours before putting on the hardware and light use.