In order to remove stain, you have to sand. The Citristrip is not going to remove stain, just paint, and neither will mineral spirits. Sand, sand, sand.

You have done a great job so far, especially in the corners where it is tough to get the paint out of. Is there veneer on this drawer front? Its tough to see what is going on bc I cant enlarge the picture much.

apaquin25, thanks! What grit(s) should I buy to use?

220 is a very fine grit, used for detailing, smoothing between coats of paint and poly, and finishing. You'll probably want to start off with a 160 and then move to 180.

Exactly my point Anne. People give advise without knowing enough information.

Greystone, thank you so much!! Since I've never done this I wasn't sure if I was on the right track or if the blotches meant the project had gone sideways. I tried to enlarge the photo with no luck, so I'll have to take another one tonight. I assumed it isn't veneer since the dresser has been through a lot over the years and has no chips... but I honestly have no idea. Will report back!

Try TSP (Tri Sodium Phosphate - you can get it at a hardware store) and it may take the stain off. I've used it and scrubbed with fine steel wool ( you mix the TSP powder with water) and had good success in getting stain to come out - but it will depend on the stain and the wood, though it is worth a try. Start on a small area that isn't front and centre in case you aren't happy with the results. Good luck.

Most newer furniture is veneer. Even some quite old pieces are also.

If it's blotchy like that it means that some of the old finish/stain is still there and hasn't been removed.

Update: I looked at the piece and it does have a veneer on the front. It also looks much better now that is has dried for 24 hours. Please let me know if you think it's ready to stain or if I should bleach or sand where it's uneven. Open to all advice!!

You've done a nice job, but it won't take much to blow through the veneer. Perhaps it's time to accept it for what it is and perhaps a light sand with 320 grit in the direction of the grain and then proceed with the finishing. To me, it looks like cherry (but I'm probably wrong), which is notorious for blotchy stain takeup.

If you're determined to stain, go ahead. If that doesn't work you can always paint again. While I'm sure it was nice quality, furniture of that era doesn't sell for much so you won't have a loss

You do not have all the finish off. Instead of mineral spirits, use acetone to clean with the fine steal wool. Do not sand this or you will ruin your dresser. When your done, repost the picture and I'all walk you through it. I have done this before and I have restored antique furniture. Also do not use water to neutralize the paint remover. You will raise the grain of the wood and also run the risk of loosening the veneer. Do not use any chemicals indoors and properly dispose of any rags you use. They are extremely flammable and will self ignite if stored improperly.

Go over it with acetone and fine steel wool and repost. You are almost there.

Ahh, competing advice! I think I will try cleaning it up with some acetone first then reevaluating to see if it needs sanding? I really hope it works out.

Let me know if the acetone helped. I'll walk you through the next steps. Someone showed me how to do this many years ago with the promise I pay it forward.

With all the work you've done so far, make sure you get some really good stain. It makes a huge difference. I have had great luck with Old Masters gel stain.