Varathane 368032 Less Mess Wood Stain and Applicator, 4 oz, Espresso

Absolutely obsessed! This was great for a quick fix and worked perfectly for my living room project. It was a little hard to get the product flowing at first, but once it did, it was super easy to use and pretty much mess-free. I’d definitely recommend it for touch-ups, but it would take a lot more time and effort for anything beyond that.

I ordered this to cover up scratches on my night stand and now it looks great. Easy to apply, dried quickly and no mess. The color matched and for the cost try it.

Good Stain with Easy Applicator — Just Be Ready to Work The Varathane 385685 Less Mess Wood Stain and Applicator is a solid product that really delivers on convenience. The built-in applicator makes it easy to spread the stain evenly, and cleanup is much simpler than traditional stain and rag methods — just wipe off excess from the sleeve. The stain itself absorbs nicely into wood and gives a rich, even finish. It’s great for furniture, trim, and other projects where you want a smooth, consistent look. I appreciated how easy it was to control the amount of stain with the sleeve. Just keep in mind that you’ll still want to work carefully and wipe away any puddles right away — it’s “less mess,” not mess-free. But overall, this product saves time and effort, and I’d recommend it for anyone looking for an easier way to stain wood without sacrificing a quality finish. 🪵✨

I've used these to cover up scratches from pet nails on our old hardwood floors. The golden oak is perfect for our orangish-brown stained cypress floors and it dries really fast. I find that the spongy top applicator does wear down quickly with friction, but nothing some paper towels can't replace. I encourage folks to use gloves if you don't want to stain your fingers, but I have not had any issues with stain transfer on socks or pet paws after application. As far as I know, there isn't any real odor and it's easy enough to use on small sections.

Bought this to stain a Brazilian Rosewood guitar neck. Prepped bare wood with naphtha to remove oils. Application was easy and initially had great results. It turned to an almost ebony color after 2 applications. Came back 4 days later and the stain was coming off on my hands. I cleaned up the mess with a little water and all the stain came off completely. I followed the instructions EXACTLY. I've used other Varathane varnishes and stains on many projects over many decades and have always had great results. Thankfully there was no permanent damage, but let this be a cautionary tale for the next person.

Exactly what I was hoping for!!! Easy application, dried quickly and was the perfect color. I used Dark Walnut and this stain is great quality and definitely worth the money.

Had to stain some wood pieces for a project I'm working on. I basically never work with wood and didn't want to end up buying a bunch of supplies I'd never use again, so this seemed ideal. It was not. Honest to gosh, I cannot imagine a possible reason to buy or use this product. If someone gave it to me for free I wouldn't use it. Heck, I PAID for the darn thing and went out to buy something else so I wouldn't have to use it anymore! Let me lay out the issues, as I see them: 1) The squeeze- You have to CONSTANTLY squeeze it, at almost full muster, for many minutes at a time (depending on the size of your piece). It is physically exhausting using this product. 2) The time- It took so much longer than it needed to. I had 7 wooden slats that needed stain applied and it took over an hour to get about halfway to complete. That's not counting the hours of drying between coats. To be fair, I was looking to turn these things black, so it needed quite a bit of coverage, but the application is so ridiculously slow and clumsy. 3) The coverage- As I kind of alluded to above, the coverage was not good. At least partially because I had somewhat rough wood and partially because I needed it DARK, but even so, I'd applied 2 coats on each side and still needed at least a couple more. Using this product was so bad, that at this point, 2 coats in and realized I had at least another day of application and drying ahead of me, I just went to the store and bought the smallest can of Minwax liquid penetrating stain they had. I grabbed a cloth, dipped it in the can, and finished these things to perfection in 10 minutes. Easy, peezy, lemon squeezy. There is no possible reality where paying $10 for this "less mess wood stain applicator" and squeezing your forearms into oblivion, applying MANY coats, over the course of days, only to end up with subpar results, is a better option than buying a $10 can of stain, tearing up an old shirt, and finishing the job in 10 minutes, with stellar results. The ONLY possible use case for this product is to recommend to a buddy as a trick to pay them back for a time they wronged you. May gosh have mercy on your soul.

This product is a must for me was first time I used the polish in a bottle like this. No mess , mo waste. I was in control of how much I needed and exactly where I wanted to use . I actually enjoyed the job I was fixing.

It’s amazing

Works amazing, mess free. Would order and use again. It's very simple to use and the colors are great

What can I say? I love this product. I had a small job to do and I have lung issues and was worried about using a product that was going to irritate my lungs and affect my breathing. ZERO odor in this stain and it covers beautifully and the end result is stunning. Just what I needed and so simple my 9 yr old son was able to help. The colour is a beautiful warm tone, I got Golden Oak, and it suits really well for furniture projects. My husband built a new enclosure for our son's bearded dragon and we wanted to have it work as a furniture element as it is in the family room. We painted the enclosure a charcoal colour and did the front supports in this beautiful stain to offset it and bring it into our home design and colour's. It is perfect. When the entire project is complete I will update with a new picture of the finished project. But if you are hesitating thinking this won't be enough, I suggest you give it a try because honestly this little container goes a long way and it is so easy to use that if feels like cheating. Great item to use with kids DIY projects also. Highly recommend!

Simplemente es agua. No funciona para nada.

Tried to stain a shoe rack. Was a nightmare, but the colour is solid and it’s holding up. Just annoying application.