Have a box or pail next to the project so that you can easily place the removed finish in it for later disposal. After you have removed the waste left over from the finish, scrub the stripped piece with a rag to remove any excess stripper. Next clean the project with the recommended solvent to remove and neutralize any remaining stripper residue. This is very important, because you don't want your new finish to come back off because the stripper was still active. Allow the wood to dry thoroughly before sanding or applying a new finish.
Some strippers contain waxes to retard evaporation.
The majority of refinishing problems are caused by not removing the wax residue. Use a clean cloth and plenty of lacquer thinner, mineral spirits or alcohol to remove the wax residue. Finish Removal Scraping and sanding are another way to remove a unwanted finish. This is generally the safest way to remove a finish, but also the hardest. There will be a lot of elbow grease used and this method is extremely time consuming.