How can I remove varnish from floorboards without commercial product ?

Only thing I could think of is to lightly sand it off

Thank you Kmdreamer, I will give that a go.

Yes, sanding is the only way to remove the varnish short of chemicals. If you don't have a sander, you can rent 1 from diy stores. I like the ones with the vacuum attached to capture the varnish as it is stripped off. Wear safety glasses.

Try vinegar. It's acidic and should dissolve the varnish.

I would get a small palm sander if it isn't a big area. For a larger area, rent one but they can get away from you easily and ruin the grain of the wood. You can try vinegar but it may also change your wood color.

Have you tried sanding?

I think you will have to sand that to remove the stain.

You would need to sand them.

I agree with the vinegar suggestion. It would go slow with it though, it might get gummy. Sanding might be the way to go though. Although, I think you might have to restain the floor boards underneath the area you remove the stain.

Sand it down. Nothing natural will work.

Sanding by hand or with a palm or mechanical sander is the only way I know to remove the finish without using some type of stripper mixture. Start with a coarse grit and then end with a very fine sandpaper for the very smoothest finish.

Agreed, without chemicals, sanding is probably your only hope.

A sander. You can rent a professional sander with a bag that helps keep the dust down for a weekend at most tool rental places. It is not hard to use just heavy. Get an orbital one and never leave it sit on one spot. The trick is to keep it moving at all times. You can finish off hand sanding the edges. No homemade concoction will strip varnish.

Sanding is the only solution. Nothing homemade that will work.

Sanding is a mechanical remover but can be very very messy. We contracted out to have our wall ceiling and floors done. Results are amazing!

Thank you everyone for your advice - much appreciated. Accept that I may have to sand to get rid of the varnish ... BUT I am going to have a go with mix of warm water and white vinegar first - because wouldn't it be amazing if it worked ? Will report back if it does !

Thank you, Betsy !

I only know Murphy oil