The basic rule for getting good results with any wood stain is to apply a wet coat and wipe off the excess before it dries. You can use any tool – rag, brush, paint pad, roller or spray gun – to apply the stain. You can even dip the object into stain or pour the stain onto the wood and spread it around.Click to see full answer. Also question is, how do you wipe with a stain?Apply stain liberally with brush, lint-free cloth, or spray until surface is completely wet. Allow to penetrate for 5 to 15 minutes. Wipe with a soft cloth, first across the grain, then with the grain. For a darker color, re-stain when first coat is dry.Secondly, what is the difference between wiping stain and penetrating stain? In the meantime, a penetrating stain is one that uses dye which will soak into the wood [penetrate] where as the normal wiping stain is pigment base and the pigment portion when dry just sits on top of the wood or collects in the pores or sanding scratches. Also, what happens if you don’t wipe off wood stain? If the excess stain is not wiped off, the stain will not dry properly or completely and any finish applied over it will not dry either. Rather than rubbing it down with lacquer thinner, use mineral spirits applied with a 3/0 steel wool.How do you use penetrating stain? Stain Application: Apply stain in the direction of the grain with a brush or clean cloth. Allow the stain to penetrate 5-15 minutes to achieve desired color. The more time the stain is allowed to penetrate, the richer and darker the color will be. Remove stain that has not absorbed into the wood with a clean cloth.