Remove paint from hardware

Good painters remove or cover door hardware before they paint. The other kind of painter - sometimes I must admit to being guilty - just slops it over any exposed metal, ending up spending more time removing paint from hardware than that actually spent on painting the door!

 

Fortunately, any knob, escutcheon plate, or hinge can easily be made to shine again without the need for noxious chemicals, expensive tools, or uncomfortable gear.

The secret to restoring the gleam is simple: A long, hot, sudsy soak in a slow-cooker or crockpot. This method uses nothing more than water, a bit of liquid detergent, and heat to break the paint bond. More often than not, you can slide all the cooked paint layers off with your fingers and remove the stubborn bits with a soft nylon scrubbing brush.

A touch up with Woodoc Antique Wax after stripping will restore the sheen to solid brass or thickly plated hardware. And the next time the door needs painting, do yourself a favour - take the hardware off before you start painting.

While hot water is amazingly effective at removing paint from metal, it needs some time to work. But if time is something you're running short of, then Plascon RemovAll will hasten the process. It takes only 30 minutes for RemovAll to do the job, and it's water-based, biodegradable, user-friendly and environmentally safe. It offers a safe alternative to the harsh and toxic immersion liquids presently used to remove coatings from metals and plastic parts.