White distilled vinegar. Any brand will do. Steel wool. Fine graded is ideal because it disintegrates best, but any grade will work. [1] X Research source A container of some sort. This can be a bucket, a jar, a pot, a bowl, or whatever else you have on hand. If you dislike the smell of vinegar you may want to opt for a container you can close while the mixture sits, particularly if you want it to get quite dark, as this will involve letting it sit for a while. Rubber gloves. These are optional, but a good idea if you are concerned about cutting your fingers on the steel wool, or if you plan on making a particularly dark solution that might stain your fingers. A strainer. This is also optional, as you can apply the stain straight from whatever container you made it in. This will come in handy if you want to transfer the liquid to another container to store and use again later. A paintbrush.
Wood with bifurcated grains is best, particularly where the wood grain is layered in hard/soft layers, so the soft layers are affected by the process but the hard layers are not, causing the wood to look old. Softwoods are easier to work with than hardwoods. Southern yellow pine, western cedar, and fir are excellent candidates for aging. Red oak, maple, or other slow-growing, tightly grained woods are not. [3] X Research source Hardwoods with a distinct grain, such as hickory, white oak, elm, or ash, can also work well. [4] X Research source This method is not appropriate for laminate flooring, as the vinegar will likely cause the glue holding the layers together to fall apart.
The color of the stain is determined by how long it sits. Stain soaked for just a couple days will have a dark, burnt tone. The longer it sits, the rustier in color it will become. [5] X Research source The intensity of the stain is determined both by how many steel wool pads you use, and how long you let the mixture sit. 1-3 steel wool pads to a half-gallon of vinegar should work for most projects. If you want your stain to darken faster, try adding another steel wool pad. If it becomes too dark, simply dilute it with water.
