Our Varathane Fast Dry Wood Stains are wiping stains, so the excess stain must be wiped away from the wood to ensure proper appearance and drying. When in the can and first applied, the stain will appear opaque, similar to a paint. Once the stain has been allowed to penetrate the wood for a few minutes, wipe the surface with a clean rag in the direction of the wood grain to remove all of the excess stain. If the stain has been applied and the excess was not removed, the stain on top of the wood will likely remain tacky. If this occurs, you can wipe the surface with a rag dampened with either more stain, or mineral spirits to reactivate the tacky stain. Continue wiping the surface in the direction of the wood grain, until all of the stain on the wood has been removed, leaving only what is in the wood behind. - Rust-Oleum Product Support 2