Unfortunately, many of us resort to commercial waxes and polishes in a fruitless effort to reverse the process. First you have to remove the old stain. Learning how to stain wood furniture isn't difficult. Apply the mixture to the furniture. Be sure you use a drop cloth to catch any spills.

You don't need to be a master furniture maker to breathe new life into your furniture, which may have become lackluster and dull over the years, thanks to ordinary household dirt and body oils mortal enemies of fine furniture. You can use a paintbrush for seams and joints and a sponge for the flat areas. This means stripping off the old finish and building up from there.

Follow the directions carefully and be sure you have a space with good ventilation. It's a labor intensive process, to be sure. But it can also be a labor of love, if done correctly.

The only way to restore the finish is to go back to square one and re stain the original wood. To do this you need to apply two part hydrogen peroxide, which is available in the paint department of your home improvement store.

These only make matters worse, creating new layers for dirt to glom onto.

After the stain has been removed, follow the directions on.