HGTV stars Jenny Mars and Dave Mars shared that wood-aging techniques work best on porous woods like pine because they accept colorants more easily. The father of five taught the Jennifer Hudson Show audience how to make natural stains. “We got vinegar. We got steel wool. We're basically making iced tea,” he told Hudson (via YouTube). “You boil some vinegar. You put it in some steel wool. Then you let it sit for an hour. Then you get a nice natural stain.”
The Journal of Wood Science studied the interaction of steel wool and vinegar and how woodworkers can use the solution to treat or blacken wood projects. In this journal, we have made several discoveries that may help DIY users prepare effective staining solutions. They suggest an ideal solution: about 2.7 fluid ounces of distilled white vinegar per gram of ultra-fine aged steel wool. Interestingly, apple cider vinegar gave inconsistent results. And in case you want to splurge on new steel wool, research has found that old steel wool breaks down faster and works better. Dave told the audience that he should leave the mixture for an hour, but in a magazine article he said the vinegar and steel wool solution was best left for three days.