How to lighten wood WITHOUT bleach! | Quick furniture flip 👍

It's the hot trend that seemingly everyone is trying -- lightening wood to give is a bleached wood look WITHOUT BLEACH! In today's video I show you how to lighten wood without bleach. I use a chalk paint wash which is easier, and has no fumes and is not toxic to your skin.
Want to learn how to lighten wood without bleach? Watch and let me know what you think of this quick furniture flip!
PART 2 of this tutorial (another example) Here: bit.ly/3EgbCsG
PRODUCTS USED:
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in color Old Ochre and Annie Sloan Clear Wax. Not sold on Amazon.
I also like Dixie Belle and Country Chic paints and you could use any white color you want. Here's a few:
Country Chic Paint - amzn.to/3SrKUlt
Dixie Belle Paint - amzn.to/3Saps4D
*look through all their colors and find a white or grey that you like!!
Simple Green Cleaner: amzn.to/3Saps4D
Orbital Sander (this one is my favorite) - amzn.to/3qYXayi
Sanding blocks- amzn.to/3qYXayi
Zibra Round Paintbrush - amzn.to/3r4PtXs
Clear Wax (try Jolie or Dixie Belle) - amzn.to/3C4Zo5v / amzn.to/3SuCB8I
For business inquiries only: [e-mail]
MY MUSIC: open.spotify.c...
clarabaker.ban...
INSTAGRAM: / know.can.do
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
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We hope to empower YOU to learn through doing, while WE learn through doing. You don't know what you can do until you try. We love trying new things and sharing our thoughts and honest feedback about the experiences. Thanks for watching!

[@KnowCanDo]

Do you enjoy these videos?! Consider gifting something from my Amazon Wishlist! I'll give you a shoutout in the video when I use the product!! Thanks so much for your support :) - Clara amzn.to/3xslNWx

[@ihssanhhmourouane6480]

Can you please put the brand of the paint you put on last that shown wood grain. Thanks

[@ihssanhhmourouane6480]

I got it thanks

[@sams6591]

Can I do this for laminate furniture too ?

[@bombshell_34]

Thank you so much for your calm, quiet voice with this tutorial. Most tutorials are loud and use chaotic music and they send me into sensory overload. Yours was absolutely perfect. ❤️

[@watercoloraanik4388]

Yes i agree with you ..yes she is very calm and cute also

[@cantstopsmilin]

Totally agree!! So much easier to actually hear the words being said

[@KnowCanDo]

Aw thanks!

[@stephaniejones9830]

I agree with this comment! Thank you for your calm demeanor, I had to mute a couple of other videos bc they were too chaotic and loud as well.

[@hsmd4533]

Couldn’t agree more. Obnoxious background music is in so many videos.

[@SavedByJesus-pi3yu]

I love how it turned out. I wouldn’t say it’s identical to if you bleached the wood, it’s a different effect but equally beautiful.

[@RavenHavenNW]

FINALLY, a NONTOXIC, kind to the planet, furniture flip starting with Simple Green and on forward!! THANK YOU!!!❤

[@christinegallina3553]

I love a nontoxic alternative to bleaching! Thank you!! Looks beautiful ☺️

[@carlaharris4879]

You never use bleach in your laundry or in your bathroom???

[@margaritamoya3290]

I love your method. Thank you for showing it to us. The little table is beautiful!

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks for watching!

[@melissahoffman1754]

Oh my gosh...this is exactly how I want my project to turn out. Looks amazing!! Thanks for the video.

[@samanthadominguez3447]

Straight to the point and very simple steps! Finished product is beautiful, I can’t wait to try your method! 😊

[@jackiedrowley3351]

I hate hand sanding BUT it’s always worth it at the end ❤

[@eleanorerosanova7538]

You make it look so easy. I wish I could do that to my kitchen cabinets.

[@DelilahZoe]

Outstanding. Love that this is really that simple and minimal chemicals : 1) clean/degrease 2) sander + sanding sheets/foam 3) whitewash (thinned chalk paint), 4) seal (wax, poly, etc.) Thanks ! :)

[@KnowCanDo]

Exactly! You got it! Have fun :)

[@InBetweenChaos]

I really like the way you lightened this without really seeing white brush strokes. Beautifully done!

[@tinarajan9886]

My goodness that finished product is absolutely stunning 🥰

[@TranscendFurnitureGallery]

Looks a million times better! Nice work :-)

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks Angie!!!

[@brendadalponte7845]

Luv this! I am refinishing our antique oak table , but cannot use bleach... very helpful , my husband is also a long time musician and singer songwriter as well, so we will check out your music as well

[@novaroses6844]

This is so helpful. I think I’ll try this on some outdate oak cabinets!!

[@kerrymarris4260]

Yes, old oak table, I think it looks great, except for the teeny, tiny stain. Pencil eraser to start and then scrape until color is gone.. then just layer it with clear nail polish until it's flush with the rest of the top.. you can paint around it, or just wait until it's built up and dry. Then finish.

[@TorchAndWillowDesigns]

I can't tell you how many times this video came into my feed and I passed on it because as a woodworker and furniture maker of over 25 years I am so sick of seeing videos of people using OVEN CLEANER to strip wood. I honestly thought this was one of those videos. I like putting furniture or woodworking videos on in the background while I'm in my shop. This video played and I was so pleased to see that there was NO OVEN CLEANER. This video is right on the money. You did everything right from start to finish and I just want to thank you for putting informative content out that doesn't mislead people and doesn't destroy furniture. 👏👏👏👏

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks so much! I also have a video about how effed up and dangerous the oven cleaner trend is/was haha. I hated that too!

[@ButteredToast32]

Looks 100x better. Well done.

[@lizhoward9754]

Love it! It looks better than bleaching. I think it shows off the wood grain more “naturally” than with bleaching.

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks, Liz! I haven't tried bleaching yet, and I don't really want to now haha!

[@edseventyeight6749]

I'm just seeing your video. I have been trying to figure out what to do with an old oak (orangey) armoire for a few years now. I don't like using bleach on furniture. You're table looks great. Thank you for solving my problem for me. You did a great job.

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks so much! I hope this technique works well for you

[@evepaludan7713]

Your music is incredible. Thanks for sharing the links!

[@KnowCanDo]

Glad you like it, Eve! Thanks for listening :)

[@mrststreasures9628]

Wow! Love the way the etching pops now! So cute!!!

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks, Melissa! I love the little flower etching :)

[@kristielove47]

Soooooo elegant . . . Definitely diggin' the beachy vibe 🏖️🌅🌊🤍

[@bbsal4031]

Love it! Turned out excellent! Want to do something like this to my kitchen cabinets.

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks! I think it would look awesome on kitchen cabinets!

[@janicevstein6391]

I refinished some of my wood natural birch wood kitchen cabinets. I definitely don’t like the yellow look so I sanded them down as much as I could. I still would like to get rid of all the yellow although it looks better. Next time I will try this. Thanks.😊

[@delluser4936]

Your advice and lightening the table and then the ancillary wax.... Let me just say --- ten paint desk managers could put their heads together and offer little brochures --- and probably none would have suggested your way. You narrate this great, the product description for your chalk paint is great and you are super cool smiling at the camera. Brilliant of you to lighten with the transparency still showing the natural wood grain. Love your video. Thank you. Corey

[@AmberSkye793]

Love how this turned out!

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks, Ida! Easy peasy!

[@shannonryan2044]

I was so afraid to use wax but I finally did & I love it so much

[@KnowCanDo]

Oh man, me TOO!!!! Scary at first for some reason but I love it now. :)

[@donnahilber8701]

keep going! You have a great repurposing vibe and thank you.

[@ellong5790]

Great Job!

[@gaile2241]

I love the new shade

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks so much, Gaile! Much nicer!

[@ltvanburen8555]

I like this- and it has to be a lot less damaging to the old wood, not to mention the environment. Great job!

[@karenbaldry8096]

Thanks for your lovely tutorial. It came out beautiful 🤩

[@aimsters7374]

I've also just been getting into furniture flipping, and I'm really enjoying your channel! I think you're definitely one of the most helpful and enjoyable flipping channels I've found. :).

[@KnowCanDo]

Aw, wow Amy thanks so much! I appreciate that and I'm glad you're here :)

[@DaisyJune6]

Absolutely Beautiful & Thank you for sharing ❤

[@debraneria4242]

Wow Clara beautiful voice. .I was only able to hear ur song in the middle of the night. ..just beautiful ❤️

[@KnowCanDo]

Thank you Debra

[@trix4meow]

Thanks for posting this im redoing some oak bar stools from the 80s or early 90s and this is exactly the look I want...its my 1st project like this so tha ks for the tips

[@KnowCanDo]

Wonderful! That is awesome. Have a great time with your first project!!

[@dawnziccardi8205]

Wow, that table turned out beautiful!

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks so much, Dawn! Such a simple update but makes a huge difference. Thanks for watching!

[@elegantupgrades]

So much better! I love me some paint washes! I also love that you mentioned your music.

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks, Taryn! This was my first time using one but I was pleased!

[@amyradbill1836]

That’s a super sweet little table, and the paint wash is perfect for it!

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks so much, Amy!

[@shellyirby9828]

I love it! Great job. Nice color!

[@OurFurnitureFlippingAdventure]

Table much improved ♥️

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks ❤️❤️

[@avib943]

Beautiful! And right on time for me, lol. I just purchased a raw wood desk top that has a bit too much red in the undertone. I was planning on bleaching it but now I may just follow your lead and give it chalk paint wash. Thank you for the tutorial!

[@KnowCanDo]

Nice! That could be a fun way to lighten it up for sure. It's fun to experiment with different ratios of paint to water! Have fun!

[@fazilamakkan1770]

Yes, this is a super makeover. I'm going to attempt my dining table using these colours. Thank you 🤗

[@KnowCanDo]

Have fun!

[@galady8632]

Such a quick, sweet flip!

[@KnowCanDo]

Yes indeed!! Big difference on a small piece :)

[@furniturefliphustle3531]

Great job! Simple but soooo effective. We’ll definitely have to try this 🙌

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks!! Yes it's a fun and relatively easy technique!

[@imnotchris5091]

Wowwwww, thank u For this video 😭😭 God bless you

[@evepaludan7713]

Very nice and thanks for the recipe for the chalk paint whitewash!

[@KnowCanDo]

You're welcome Eve! I hope it works out for you :)

[@evelynaaspidov123]

Thanks for the video! Bleach gives my heart race, I feel super sick and get an instant headache. Thank you for the no bleach option!

[@rosesakura6604]

Wow! I love the way it turn out!💕 Thank you so much!!💕

[@KnowCanDo]

I'm so glad!

[@angelathevegan2431]

I love how this piece turned out. Really cute too. The wood grain looks amazing with this wash you did. Quite Lovely! Keep on doing what you do. I see you doing better each time. Great video. ❤🧡💛💚

[@KnowCanDo]

Thank you so much, Angela :) I really appreciate you saying that!!

[@karinavieira2679]

Hello! I love your video! Can you specify the Annie Sloan products you used here? I went to your Amazon front store but can’t find it since the video is a little old. Thank you so much!!

[@robinbird6215]

Pretty table! You did a beautiful job, thank you for your tutorial.😁💛

[@KnowCanDo]

You are so welcome! Thanks!

[@allenferriols6167]

This is so helpful! Does this also work on wood with laquer or varnish or laminate? Or do you need extra steps for it?

[@flp376]

My great grandparents had tables like that next to each of their chairs. They were handmade in 1920.

[@nohemycorreagallery]

So beautiful results

[@mammacass5311]

Clara did you know surf prep now offers the squishy pads for any sander!! I just got a sample pack I haven’t tried them yet. I totally have this same table and I’m definitely going to copy cat you. Lol thanks again for another great video!! I was thinking last stand as well.

[@DecFirefly1210]

Thanks, I didn't know about surfprep.

[@KnowCanDo]

Oh wow! I didn't know that, but that's awesome! I am going to be saving up to buy a surfprep one day :)

[@DecFirefly1210]

@@KnowCanDo me too

[@veronicalouverdis5535]

Awesome technique! Final product looks great :)

[@paulinekoulavong7268]

Thank you for sharing I really like this technique and I wanna try it on my kitchen cabinets

[@KnowCanDo]

Please do and let me know how it turns out!

[@kayhenry6293]

Very pretty.

[@KnowCanDo]

Thank you, Kay! :)

[@jennylong6180]

Well-done👏Non Toxic too thank you🌌🌈👍

[@stampinsueduffy]

Great video! Love the color of your little table. I'm a big Annie Sloan fan and have lots of orangey-oak furniture I would like to change without painting. I will need to invest in a power sander, though, for sure.

[@msoh5172]

I'm a bit late watching this video BUT! Just wanted to say thanks for always promoting & showing safer, gentler & more environmentally conscious furniture refinishing & restoring. I've been increasingly dismayed watching shorts or vids that use dangerous & toxic chemicals or methods when working with furniture. Folks forget that the choices that *every* one makes do in fact accumulate & negatively affect the health of their personal community and the planet as a whole. You ably suggest caution & care when working with any products used in furniture flipping & I, for one, so appreciate your gentle but factual reminders of how to tread lightly as we walk through the processes to reclaim or refinish furniture. 🙏👍❤

[@davidbadstubner4582]

Dig the approach. Also dig the background music.

[@KnowCanDo]

Well hey there! Thanks, David. The background music is royalty-free from the KZbin library but it's from a producer named Bad Snacks. She is amazing and actually lives in Portland -- check out her non-KZbin work: badsnacks.bandcamp.com/

[@davidbadstubner4582]

Oh sweet! I actually follow her on IG but thought she lived in LA for some reason. Thank you!

[@KnowCanDo]

Sweet! I think she moved to Portland in the last year or two.

[@lindaratcliffe7667]

Thanks for this video. That look is exactly what I want for my honey oak kitchen cabinets, but have been reading about bleed through and pinkness when using similar techniques without primer. But primer is white and covers the grain, so I don’t want that. Do you think this could work? Would be so awesome…

[@KnowCanDo]

Glad it was helpful! I think it should work as long as you sand off or remove the old stain! Oak shouldn't be too hard to cover up like this. That said, take off ONE cabinet door and try it on that first :)

[@dl.martin1654]

Nice job! I plan on using a round brush after seeing your beautiful results. And I just subscribed. See ya!

[@kajnadams]

This turned out so cute! Love it! Thanks!

[@pelocat]

Your shirt is amazing!

[@danicauzelac4688]

Very, very nice

[@SabsRehabs]

So cute! Love it!

[@KnowCanDo]

Thank you!!! I needed to film a video so I looked around my parent's garage and found this! haha :)

[@SabsRehabs]

@@KnowCanDo 🤣🤣🤣

[@neatapeace4266]

Very good tutorial. Thanks for sharing.

[@pamelar3607]

I like it a lot. Good job!

[@kathrynaddante3328]

I like this, I wonder if I can refinish my kitchen cabinets this way?!!!

[@megh1684]

Lovely!

[@phyllishume5854]

Sweet little table

[@KnowCanDo]

Absolutely. Thanks for watching, Phyllis!

[@anaambrosio8763]

Amei ficou realmente linda, beautiful job

[@emmathompson7706]

Adorable!

[@gilbertsarnicola5767]

Dope!! I dig the shirt

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks!!

[@ghengis430]

So nice, and not lifting the grain of the wood. 😊

[@oxanakarpukhina9230]

Very nice music. Love table

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks so much, Oxana!

[@sirtedricwalker2979]

Love how it turned out. Great JOB!

[@lisettewurster3648]

Looks amazing

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks, Lisette :)

[@rubietaseff8175]

Wow that is super pretty! Thank you for shating

[@lucylou4315]

WOW, so nicely done!♥

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks for watching! If you're curious to hear my music, you can do so here: clarabaker.bandcamp.com/music

[@angelathevegan2431]

I listened to some of your music and you are so talented. My husband and I both loved it. You have a beautiful voice. It was kinda Joni Mitchell style.

[@marlenejones6266]

I saw video where they used a square sander that got into many of the places your round one didn't. I might get a square one..it's cheaper. I have an intricate table to do with a split lid. It's an old end table with a magazine holder on the side. I love it but I want to do it right

[@beckyrubin3754]

Those little tables are so common, but that’s a nice transformation I wasn’t expecting! Super cute and versatile!

[@KnowCanDo]

Totally! They are so common, and such a nice, quick transformation. Thanks for watching, Becky!

[@amberfrazier575]

There is a thick soft sponge with sand paper on the end that will make ripe orbital sander sand curves and bevels Like the leg of your table. They are great!

[@nicoleneesby]

Thank you for this!! I am making a bunk bed from 2 mismatch antique twin bed frames. Unfortunately the woods don’t match so I am thinking about trying this technique to make them work together 😅

[@debloui]

So gorgeous. There’s nothing as beautiful than natural wood. Did you have to sand out the flower etching? The prep is always the longest part! I’d also be curious to see you outside set up (or perhaps it’s in another video). Looks like you have a tent or something. I work outside, but it’s completely open, so awful when it’s windy. And always scared I’ll get dust or bugs in my paint finish!!

[@KnowCanDo]

Thanks, Deb! I didn't have to sand too much in there, it was pretty worn down.

[@bellepoupee61]

Beautiful and well done!

[@KnowCanDo]

Thank you so much, Christine :) Hope you are doing well!

[@MsGnor]

Oooh Clara, lovely job 🥰

[@KnowCanDo]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@carolmoore3706]

I love it

[@vanessab2726]

Looks beautiful 😍

[@deerosner]

This is wonderful. Thank you so much

[@dalinegron4102]

You did a great job!!

[@christibell5757]

I love!!!!

[@KnowCanDo]

Aw, thanks so much Christi!

[@kathleenhernandez3772]

Nice job

[@jocelynrose5497]

Amazing.

[@michellerhodes3378]

It looks amazing! I cannot wait to try this!