Paint might be the easiest way to make over a room, but many tenants or past residents don't take the time to remove the hardware from their doors and windows before doing so. If you're looking to strip all those years of color choices, here's a way to do it without chemicals and without lifting a finger.
Over at The Family Handyman, they suggest putting your slow cooker to use. You'll want to pick up a second one from a thrift store, or at least a new insert. Either way, $20 for a new slow cooker is cheaper and healthier for you than layers of chemicals and hours of scrubbing and peeling.
The idea is simple. Just add your hardware and cover with water before bed. Turn your cooker on high heat and the hot water will soften the paint and peel it away in one big layer. Think of it as like taking off a rubber glove. It's really that easy. Make sure you check out all the tips over at The Family Handyman on the process. There are some things to be aware of if you think you might have lead based paint, and a few pointers to make things easier!
(Image: The Family Handyman)
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I've done this with an old pan on the stove during the day. Let it simmer for a bit and the paint comes right off.
Is it weird that I'm looking at that and thinking it looks like fun? I wish I had something to strip just so I could do that.
Would you want to use your slow cooker for this? I'm assuming people would want to cook their food in it later.
This works wonders for latex paint, but doesn't work on oil-based paint, unfortunately.
Thank you, thank you, I have a ton of hardware to remove old paint from and I'd been avoiding it - I'm heading to the store today to grab a second crockpot!
@JASMINEISDOMESTIC:
Thus the comment in the article to "You'll want to pick up a second one from a thrift store, or at least a new insert."
There are also slow-cooker disposable bag liners.
The problem I have is getting the hardware off the doors of our 1940's house to even start this project. I have tried it and it does work but are there any solutions for getting the paint off the hardware when it is on the door?
Similar to @LUVCOLOUR, I'm having trouble getting the hardware OFF. More tips on that process would be great!
Agree! Have to get it off the doors before I can strip it!
I have also done this with a pan on the stove -- works just fine. Rescued two beautiful glass doorknobs that way.
Norrey, this does work on oil based paint. It takes longer and more heat than modern latex/water based paints though. I've stripped paint off window pulleys/hardware on my 1913 home which has plenty of oil based lead paint everywhere.
People should not paint over hardware! LOL
@luvcolour: Use a heat gun to melt the paint off on the screws so you can remove it. You can get one at harbor freight for about $15.
Would this work on painted wood? Like a wood plinth?
When I did this, I was removing paint off original hardware in a house built in 1925. I'm not sure when the hardware was painted or what type of paint was used. It did work like a charm though.
I also used half water and half vinegar, not just water on its own.
I agree @Lorint! I want something to try this out on.
And the hinges in the photo are beautiful!
Somebody needs their head examined for painting over those beautiful hinges in the first place !! Great tip !!
Totally doing this as one final "gift" to our apartment before moving. So much beautiful hardware ruined!
Is this safe if the paint has lead in it? How should you dispose of the water?
@luvcolor: You can also take a razorblade or Exacto knife and cut an outline around the hardware, then unscrew the screws, take a flat-head screwdriver and pry it off. Might help.
Having done this on nearly a dozen doors' worth of hardware in our old home, I can confirm: it's *really* satisfying when 10 thick layers of paint come off in a single peel. I love doing this and am kind of sad that we only have two doors left to do... We paid less than $10 for a slow cooker from Craigslist and dedicated it to hardware-stripping, and just fill it with tap water and a drop or two of dishwashing soap. It's much more cost-effective than buying lots of chemical paint remover.
@Clampers, that is exactly how we finally freed our doors. We had to painstakingly cut around each screw, then chip out the paint that was in the screw's head so that we could get a screwdriver in there. I won't lie, it took a lot of time and effort and was really frustrating, but it is so worth the hard work. Having clean hinges makes a huge difference in how our doors look and function.
You shouldn't be able to comment until you read the post. G-D! that annoys me.
Waddling dishwasher soap really helps
Using not waddling. Darn you autocorrect
Autocorrect is pretty damn funny. I pictured one of those dishwasher soap bottles with a "waist" waddling around like a headless chicken.
You can get a wire brush attachment for any drill--it makes your drill look like a giant dremel. This will take the paint off any screws so that you can free your hardware for the crockpot. Just ask for a wire brush drill bit at the hardware store.
If you have a high heat hairdryer (like a T3 or FHI), you can use that to soften the paint enough to get the hinges and screws off. A heat gun will strip the paint off your doors, too...don't do it. #learnfrommymistakes
@liza83: Definately don't try to get paint off of wood this way...the wood will swell and while the paint may come off you definately don't want to expose your wood to that much water. You'll hafta do it the good old fashioned way, scraping by hand.
make sure to do this in a well-ventilated space. when i did this it started to really stink up the kitchen and i'm sure the fumes weren't all that good for me to breathe in.
Soaking hardware in finger nail polish remover works for both latex and oil based paint, and no heat is required. Just put the painted metal in a glass jar covered in nail polish remover, and wait for the paint to lift off in one piece. You may need an old toothbrush to clean out the crevices.
I did this over the summer with all of the hardware in our 1940s home and it worked like a charm. I set it on medium and added some dish soap and left it for 4 hours. Certain pieces were easy to peel off, but others needed a little scrub brush to help. After all the pieces were paint-free, i put a few thin even coats of Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze on all the hardware (trust me, my hardware couldn't go back on bare). Getting the hardware off the doors was definitely the most difficult part. I used a combo of razor blade, screwdriver and sheer will. It helped that I didn't care what happened to the paint on the door because we were stripping, sanding and repainting those as well. Everything looks so amazing now that I still sometimes just gaze at how lovely our doors are and think about how happy I am that we didn't buy new doors and hardware that wouldn't have the same authentic feel.
i would recommend using a slow cooker you don't cook with. the disposable liners break down and eventually fail, letting the dirty water into the cooker. i put a small pyrex dish in the slow cooker to hold the hardware and it made it much easier to remove all the hardware at once and made for easier cleanup. put water around & inside the pyrex dish, similar to a double boiler
geez it should be criminal to paint over those beautiful hardware pieces. wtf was that person thinking??
Anything painted before 1978 is guaranteed to have lead based paint. Always assume for the good of your health and the good of the planet that it does have lead based paint and just be responsible about it. You can check with your local solid waste removal people about how best to dispose of the paint chips. They will have a system in place.
happy restoring!
this sounds like a good idea, but as previous people have said, would you want to cook food in something you've been boiling paint in?
I've used a heat gun on low and a tiny flathead screwdriver.
Nobody's saying use the slow cooker to cook food in after you've done this. I'm sure that's why they said buy a second hand one for cheap. Geez. READ people! before you make stupid comments.