Antiseptic bleach for wood. Which wood bleach is best for wood - characteristics and tips. Other methods of bleaching.

There are three general classifications of bleaches used on wood; Peroxide or "two-component" bleaches, chlorine bleach and oxalic acid. Each type will work on some colors and not others. The trick to using any bleach is choosing the right one for the stain. Knowing ahead of time what made the stain in the first place will help you choose the right bleach.

What does bleach do?

These two components are usually sodium hydroxide and strong hydrogen peroxide. Used on their own, they are ineffective, but when mixed together they form a strong oxidative reaction that is most effective in removing the natural color in wood. They will lighten some pigment spots to a lesser extent, but are ineffective on dyes.

Chlorine is a strong oxidizing agent that removes or lightens most colorants. A stronger solution can be made with swimming pool bleach, which is a dry chemical called calcium hypochlorite. It is inexpensive and can be purchased from a pool retailer. Alkaline acid is unique in that it removes a certain type of stain formed when iron and moisture come into contact with the tannic acid in the wood. Some forests, such as oak, cherry and mahogany, naturally contain high amounts of tannic acid, and a black stain forms when the wood is washed with tap water.

Wet glass or a leaky vase left over on these scaffolds will produce a black ring. Nails and screws will form black rings around the head if the wood becomes damp. If tap water is used for wet unfinished oak and mahogany, small gray spots may form on the wood surface. Oxalic acid removes this discoloration without affecting the natural color of the wood.

Alkaline acid is also used to relieve the sedative effects of outdoor exposure. It is an ingredient in most deck brighteners. Used on furniture that has been stripped of for re-finishing, it will lighten the color and restore the even tone of wood, especially oak.

Tools and materials

Ideally, the bleach should be selective in removing color. This means that it should only remove the color you want, not the color of anything around it. The guide below should be a starting point, but in most cases you'll have to experiment, especially if you don't know the composition of the stain in the first place.

Removing the natural color of wood is best done with a two-pack peroxide bleach. It is important that Part A does not sit for too long before applying Part B, because sodium hydroxide will darken some tannin-rich woods such as cherry and oak. You can also mix the two parts together and apply them at the same time if you do this as quickly as possible after mixing the two parts. Usually, one application is all that is needed, but another application can even out the whitening effect.

This dark wood, like ebony, does not affect this bleach, which is an advantage if you want to bleach wood that has ebony on it. In some forests, especially walnuts, a greenish tinge can appear in some areas if the bleach is not applied evenly. To alleviate this problem, try applying the bleach evenly and sparingly, just enough to make the wood damp. Do not use bleach on the wood. Neutralize the alkaline effect of this bleach after the wood has dried by applying a mild acid such as vinegar.

Use white vinegar mixed with one vinegar for two parts water. Bleached woods will not have tonal changes and depth, even if they are tinted afterwards. When re-creating the bleached cherry fruit tree finish described above, I had to select areas of the glaze during the finish to provide some color variation. Chlorine bleaches are best used to remove dye-based stains. The main benefit of this bleach is that it will remove or lighten the stain without affecting the natural color of the wood.

To use this type of bleach, buy dry calcium hypochlorite from your pool supplier and mix the saturated powder solution into hot water... A saturated solution is formed by adding powder to water until the powder no longer dissolves. Apply the solution evenly to the wood, and in some cases the stain will disappear immediately. While the color hasn't changed after two uses, applying more bleach will be ineffective and you will need to try an alternative technique.

Immersion in porcelain or enamel dishes

Chlorine dyes are generally ineffective for pigment-based dyes. The only way to remove them is by sanding or cleaning. If you can determine the makeup of the stain, you can remove it with the correct bleach. Iron stains are fairly easy to spot. They are grayish black and are usually ring-shaped. It can also appear as a spotted oak species that has been stripped. Remove the finish first before applying oxalic acid. Mix a saturated solution of dry crystals in hot water and apply to the entire surface, not just the stain.

May require multiple applications to dry overnight. Once dry, it is imperative to remove any residual oxalic acid from the wood surface before sanding or finishing. Several rinses with distilled water will remove most of the oxalic acid crystals remaining on the surface of the wood. Neutralize the acidic surface of the wood with a solution made from one quart of water and two tablespoons of baking soda.

The stains that form on wood during the drying process differ in their composition. Sticker stain, brown stain, streaky and light ghost stains are all common problems, and some can be removed with bleach. The composition of a stain can be chemical or microbial, so trial and error is required when trying to remove these stains. Remember that some stains will not respond to bleach, so if two bleach uses are ineffective, switch to another bleach.

Stains from foods such as grape juice, tea, or fruit can be removed with chlorine bleach. Wipe down the entire surface to get an even effect. Some iron based blue and black inks can be removed with oxalic acid, but carbon based inks like Indian ink cannot be removed with any kind of bleach. Sometimes bleaching is the first step in some finishing processes. For certain special effects such as white mahogany, etching and pearlescent finishes, bleaching is done to establish a neutral or consistent shade on the wood surface.

Bleaching is also the first step in juxtaposing old wood that has changed color from exposure to light. When dry, lightly apply sand to knock off the grain, dab a stain of dark mustard pigment on it, and wipe off any excess. This produces a light tan color that was a popular finish in the 40s and early 50s.

How to whiten a log house at home: the order of work

Then apply a white pickle stain or you can make your own from diluted oil paint. A pure white spot will result in a white bone effect that is a little "antiseptic". Adding a small amount of raw shade to the white spot adds a "bone" effect.

Bleach treatment of wood: intermittently or on demand?

Crumple the rags so that a mottled effect is achieved. Paint can attack some finishes such as varnish, so be careful. Solidify this color with another clear coat of trim, then follow the same procedure using extremely thinned red paint. Avoid amber lacquers and lacquers.

Nuances of work

Then apply dye to establish the final wood color. For wood that changes to a completely different color, such as teak, use a light brown dye tinted a little orange. When it comes to changing the color of wood, woodworking machines usually turn into stains to give the wood a more or slightly different color. But wood bleach can remove color from wood.

You will find three types of products sold as wood bleach, but only one will remove the natural color from wood: a two-component sodium hydroxide / hydrogen peroxide bleach. Other wood bleaches are chlorine bleach and oxalic acid.

Chlorine bleach, which is similar to regular laundry bleach, removes dye color from wood, but not the natural wood color. Oxalic acid is commonly used to bleach water or rust stains. The teak stain remover sold by boat traders is often based on oxalic acid.

All bleaching chemicals present health and safety hazards to varying degrees. Be sure to read the manufacturer's instructions and warnings before use. Always wear rubber gloves and eye protection around bleach.

To use it, mix equal parts of two liquids in a glass or plastic container. Work quickly with two chemicals. The solution starts to neutralize and lose its whitening power as soon as you start pouring the liquids together.

Where to buy a quality wood bleaching product?

After mixing, a chemical reaction begins in which hydrogen peroxide, an oxidizing agent, acts to neutralize the caustic hydroxide. Neutralized, the solution loses its whitening ability, so mix only what you can use immediately.