Will Mineral Spirts Remove Deck Stain (What People Should Know)

Those who are staining or re-staining their deck may need to remove the stain from their deck. They may want to remove old, peeling stain or perhaps put on too much excess and want to remove it to even out the coat.

Home experts are constantly getting the question of will mineral spirits remove deck stain?

The short answer is yes, mineral spirits can help remove excess stain and some old stain from spots. However, it will not remove all the stain because the stain soaks into the wood and is permanent. Mineral spirits will lighten the stained area.

The article below explains what you can do when you have an old stain or need to remove excess stain. It also explains how and why mineral spirits are a good product for decks.

Old Stain

While the old stain is unsightly, you don’t have to remove it to restain your deck. Stain is created to absorb into the wood and leave only the pigment so it would be impossible to remove all of it.

Home experts state it is fine to apply a new stain over the old stain. The general rule is to use more transparent stains on new decks to show off the wood grain. Switch to a darker stain or paint as the deck ages.

In some cases, the stain may start to wear or peel off. This can be removed. First, pressure wash the deck and let dry. You can use mineral spirits to remove the stain.

Then, use a power sander to remove the rest before reapplying the new stain.

Using Mineral Spirits on Old Stain

Mineral spirits is a thinner so it removes dried stain by loosening it and making it into a liquid again. Then, you just wipe it off.

Use a flat pad with a good cloth or a sponge on the end. Dip it in mineral spirits poured into a clean paint tray. Now rub it on the deck while applying some pressure. The stain should start to loosen. Let the deck area dry.

The result is the area will be a lighter stain than before.

Be sure to wear gloves to do this since you are working with a chemical.

A dark stain may take some extra effort to remove. For this, soak a clean cloth in mineral spirits. Rub it on the stain. You will see a difference in the color even though the stain will not completely be removed.

Using Mineral Spirits on Excess Stain

The primary benefit of mineral spirits is to remove excess stain and allow the color to be applied more evenly.

You can use a clean cloth dipped in mineral spirits to rub over areas where there is too much stain. You will notice these areas have stain that is puddled or sticky. It will also look darker than other areas.

You won’t need to apply too much pressure to remove the excess because the stain is still wet. However, you can apply more mineral spirits and pressure if you aren’t getting the look you want.

Let the deck area with the mineral spirits dry.

Fixing Uneven Stain Colors

It may turn out that the area where you rubbed is lighter than other areas. You will be tempted to try to fix the uneven areas by applying more stain. However, that won’t work because the wood can only absorb so much stain and probably has reached the limit.

Home experts said there are two choices in this situation. The first is to wait a week and then apply a small bit of stain over the light spots to even the color. However, be careful not to create the same excess stain problem you had before.

You can also wait a few months to address the problem. The first thing to do is clean the deck with something like a pro-tech deck cleaner. Then, apply a thin coat of stain. You should follow that by wiping down the surface to get an even look.

An Alternative to Mineral Spirits

Mineral spirits work best while the stain is still wet. You may need to use another product that works better after the excess stain dries. Penofin ProTech Cleaner is a recommended product for removing excessive oil.

Lighter spots can be individually treated by adding a small amount of stain to even out the color.

Glossy Areas

Mineral spirits also work to lessen the gumminess of glossy stained areas. You can take up the excess with a rag or scraper before it dries, according to Bob Vila.

However, glossy areas will eventually tone down over time and weather to become a uniform color.

Mineral Spirits

Some people confuse mineral spirits with other similar products. Here are some facts.

Mineral spirits are made from a petroleum base. It’s a clear solvent that can thin paints and stains.
It can also be used on raw wood to showcase the wood grain to see what it will look like when the finish in on it.
It is different from turpentine as that is distilled free resin but is used as a turpentine substitute.
They don’t harm wood or stain so that makes it a great product to use for this purpose.
Mineral spirits e-activates solids in stains so you can create an even finish.
Mineral spirits are also non-toxic to the environment so it is safe to use. However, it is classified as an irritant.
It doesn’t have a smell either, although you have to look for the odorless brands to be certain of no odor.

Final Thoughts

Mineral spirits are a safe and easy way to even out the stain color on your deck or remove problematic old stains. While mineral spirits can remove deck stain, it can’t remove all of the deck stain because stain is created to be absorbed into the wood.

Fixing uneven stain should be done at the time of applying it. However, in some cases, you may need to wait until the deck dries to even out the lighter and darker colors of the stain.

It could take a week and even a couple of months to determine whether the dried stain should be tampered with to either lighten it with mineral spirits or darken it with more stain.

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Will Mineral Spirts Remove Deck Stain (What People Should Know)