Max Strip Paint & Varnish Stripper 32oz - Paint Stripper for Multiple Layers of Acrylic, Latex, Oil & Water-Based Paints, varnishes. for Wood, Metal, Masonry, Plaster, Tile, molding.

I could not have completed this project without this product, due to arthritis in my hands. Here is how I used it, based on other reviewers recommendations. I placed cardboard and/or paper down on the carpeting under this cabinet to keep it protected from the damp paint that came loose during this process. Here are the steps I used. 1. I wore nitrile gloves to keep my hands safe. 2) After emptying it of its contents, I thoroughly cleaned the china cabinet. It had a very old, shiny, faux gold with wood grain, paint effect under a heavy gloss varnish. There were at least four coats of paint, including black three layers down, and a wood stain, likely original from when the piece was first sold. 2. I applied this product to one small area at a time (the top, one side at a time, one surface at a time...you get the idea). I tried to paper and tape the glass, but that didn't work. The product was absorbed into the paper. I just cleaned the glass with left over product after the project was completed (I used heavy duty nail polish remover in tiny, hard to reach areas). 3. I used a sponge or towel to apply the product. I applied to an area of the cabinet about the size of a paper towel. I used a spray bottle to dampen a paper towel. I placed the damp paper towel over the product. I used painter tape to seal plastic wrap over the paper towel. After about 30 mins. I checked to make sure the paper towel was still damp. If it wasn't, I misted it with water again and returned the plastic over it. I repeated this as necessary in areas that were tougher to tackle (there were a few, especially at the beginning of the project, and the inside of the top of the cabinet was awkward. I had to do a few spots more than twice). After about an hour from first applying the product, I used a scraper to simply slide ALL of the layers of varnish, paint and stain off. It was amazing. I needed two bottles of this to complete the inside and outside of the china cabinet. The smell wasn't unpleasant. Not chemical. I did use a fan (which was why I started checking the paper towels were still damp every 30 mins or so) and was right next to an open window for ventilation. The fan was not facing the cabinet, but its effect was enough to start to dry the paper towels more than once. I tried another product that has a citrus base that has a smell I cannot tolerate. I prefer this product in every conceivable way. It is easy to use. It is safe. I like the size as I cannot handle heavy containers. This product sticks to the surface well, especially vertical surfaces, when using the damp paper towel covered with plastic wrap method. I never would have been able to tackle this project if I had needed to use elbow grease. I needed a few different sized scrapers, because there were very narrow, as well as rounded areas in the cabinet. I had some clay shaping tools that worked really well for this. I also used paper towels when removing the ribbons of paint layers that were coming off. That was sticky and messy. I went through a lot of nitrile gloves and paper towels, but both were critical to my success. Use the thicker quality gloves (6 mil or more), not the cheapest (3 mil). Overall, this is my go-to product now. I am eyeing lots of other pieces of furniture that won't be devalued by stripping, and will look so much better in their natural state. As a follow up. I cleaned this cabinet with Old English wood oil. It is an old but effective wood cleaner I've used for decades. Photo 1 shows the ugly gold paint still present inside on the bottom shelf of the cabinet. The whole thing looked like that. Photo 2 shows the new improved cabinet after stripping and then applying Old English Wood Oil. I did not add a stain. I'm very pleased with the results. Now I can fill it back up with my china.

I had dried paint on my walkway. This product actually took it off. I applied with paint brush, waited about 15 minutes (before it dried) and used a wire scrub brush. It came right up. A few areas took 2 attempts.

Doesn't seem to do anything. Smells okay though. Gel, container bigger in picture. Cost, should strip or breakdown paint. Poured and try on 6 inch brush no effect....

I’ve used a different brand citrus paint remover in the past and decided to try this one for a change. I had to strip paint off of two small China closet doors. This product requires that it isn’t left to dry — it must stay covered in plastic wrap — and when finished the wood must be washed with water before sanding or painting because the active ingredient continues to work after scraping. It feels like added steps with mediocre results even after two applications. It does the job a little more laboriously than its competitors.

I'm in the process of refinishing our kitchen cabinets and have tried several paint strippers. Max Strip has proven to be the most effective of the non-toxic/biodegradable strippers used so far (emphasis added). The product has a fairly runny consistency and does not hang well on vertical surfaces. It has a very long dwell time and needs to be covered with plastic wrap so that it doesn't dry out. That being said, it works. One characteristic I really like is that it completely rinses off with water and no gummy residue is left behind. "SitraStrip" leaves behind an annoying goo akin to orange mucous and it's a pain to get rid of. There are some other non-toxic strippers out there that will be given a try. So far so good with Max Strip.

Bought it more than one time. I refurbished couple of furniture pieces with this. Takes the varnish off just make sure to follow instructions for an optimal removal

I’ve been working on restoring a little house that’s been layered in over a hundred years of paint, and this varnish remover has been a lifesaver. I used it on old door knobs that were coated in what felt like a bazillion layers of thick paint, and it cut right through it. Instead of spending hours sanding or scraping, the remover softened the paint enough to peel it off with ease. It saved me time, frustration, and probably the metal underneath too. I honestly don’t know how I would have managed without it — this made the job doable and even satisfying. If you’re working on an older home or furniture piece, this is worth every penny.

It loosened the paint mildly, maybe more accurately it seemed to remove the top layer sort of making the paint on the chair thinner. I had started sanding a wood chair and then decided to try this to finish to avoid hours more of sanding this chair and 3 other chairs too. I followed directions and tried and it made a goopy mess with some paint removal, but didn’t take all the paint. It did help a little but I had to redo the process so many times. What it really did was remove enough paint/thin out the paint. where sanding the rest was slightly easier, but didn’t take off the paint as I was hoping. I bought a paint removal tool to use to scrape the paint after it soaks in this paint removal, so now I’ve invested all this money for pretty much nothing. By the time I ordered it and got around to trying it my return window closed of course so now I’m stuck with a giant gallon of paint remover that didn’t work