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.

This stripper worked great. No odor easy to apply. We stripped the stain and varnish off of our kitchen table. I just had to experiment with it to see how long to leave it on and it work excellent we would definitely recommend this product

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....

The stuff works well for fiberglass doors. It’s the only thing I could find that would work on fiberglass doors. The gel is a bit runny. I did 4 stars out of 5 because the gel was pretty runny and made it more difficult to work with as it was dripping down the door, like water in some cases. It had gel chunks. I did shake the product well as instructed, multiple times. It didn’t help. I didn’t have the luxury of taking my front door off of its hinges to do this. Exceptionally low smell, which is awesome. It’s also nontoxic. This was a huge plus not only for my safety, but for the safety of my pets since this project was happening inside. Tips for use: You have to keep this stuff very wet for it to work. Took 40-60 mins for it to work on one coat acrylic latex paint. This was after some trial and error. Cling wrap did not work well at all. The max strip would start drying out and stop working. I ended up using torn up plastic grocery bags and painters tape to keep everything moist. That worked well, but was very messy. Scraping all the paint off is very messy. Wiping everything down thoroughly with water to neutralize the max strip when you’re done is also very messy. The process is time consuming and tedious. But it works. No paint stripping project is easy or mess free. This might have been better if I didn’t have to work on a vertical surface.

If you are trying something already pealing heavily, this would probably work well. Just be sure to read all of the directions, including wearing gloves. I also recommend long sleeves. (Always avoid skin contact when dealing with products intended to destroy paint, varnish, etc. However, my husband and I were trying to remove the finish from a bay window seat and the side walls and ceiling of the bay window area. Where water had eaten away some areas, this worked easily enough. But, it really did not work well at getting through the areas that were still well sealed. We discovered that sanding with no. 60 heavy duty sandpaper worked much better. It absolutely takes a lot longer and requires masks so you’re not breathing in any paint or varnish. But, the wood revealed is the underneath, natural wood (or possibly still lightly stained wood).

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.

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.

If you cover it with plastic, it works beautifully and quickly!

The effect was not as good as expected. Cannot be completely removed

Brilliant product, would say if you know there is alot of paint then will definitely need multiple applications. Smell isn't terrible which is always beneficial, thickness is like pva glue. Good value for money.

After leaving for 1 hour, it managed to affect the 1st layer of paint, which still needed to be scrapped off with a lot of effort. To have any affect on paint, it needs to be painted on very thickly. Since it is a very water substance, it is only suitable for flat surfaces - it will drip off of vertical surfaces. In the end, using it is little better than just scraping the paint off by hand, without using paint a chemical stripper. I would also be careful using it indoors; it did make me feel very dizzy. You'll need to have all windows and doors open.

Wouldn’t get the paint off had to resort to a sand down and re/paint !

Sadly never worked but speedy refund