Removing Paint from Metal Door Knobs, Hinges and Cabinet Hardware
Because doorknobs, hinges and cabinet hardware have curved, uneven surfaces it is nearly impossible to remove paint using traditional methods such as scraping or sanding. Not only that but scraping or sanding old hardware can cause damage to the original metal.
Another option for removing pain that many people consider is to use a paint stripper to dissolve the paint. However, paint stripper is extremely harsh and caustic and can be dangerous to use if you get it on your skin or breathe the fumes. Additionally, often times stripper will leave small bits or smears of paint behind on the surface of the metal that require additional cleaning.
rather than relying on a harsh chemicals or abrasive scraping to remove the paint, there is a gentle, nontoxic way of removing paint from metal hardware that is not only safe but is very easy and Inexpensive to do. Here is what you will need to get started:
An old cooking pot
Baking soda
Water
When choosing the cooking pot make sure it is a pot that you do not plan to cook in again since the paint can leave behind toxic residue that could contaminate food. First fill the pot about halfway with water (or at least deep enough to cover your largest metal item that you want to remove paint from.) Next, sprinkle a layer of baking soda in the bottom of the pot covering the bottom completely.
Place the metal hardware or doorknobs that you want to remove paint from into the pot making sure they are all covered with water. Put the pot on your stove and heat it over medium heat until it begins to simmer - not boil. Reduce the heat and allow the pot to continue simmering with the metal hardware and baking soda in it for about 30 minutes. The combination of the baking soda and the hot water will work to soften the paint so it is easily removed from the metal. Once the paint has been adequately softened you should be able to peel it easily off of the metal. If the paint still seems to be stuck to the metal continue boiling the pieces until it has been softened enough to peel easily.
Discard the water, baking soda and any paint to you have removed. You can then use a clean cloth to polish the metal back to its original shine. If necessary you can also use a metal polish to remove any tarnish or dirt that remains on the metal hardware.
Published by Donald J.
I enjoy writing about a wide variety of topics that interest me. View profile
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13 Comments
Post a CommentI would like to say two things about this article... Thank God for the internet and thank you, Donald, for postings this! I followed your instructions and this trick worked so amazingly well. My wife and I bought her grandmother's house. It was built in 1949 and has these really cool cannonball hinges that have unfortunately been painted over time and time again. I was considering throwing them away and replacing them with new, run-of-the-mill, hinges. Then I came across this article and figured I'd give it a go. Needless to say, this works! I also used a brass bristled brush to get any residual paint out of the crevices, which also worked great. It looks kind of like an over-sized toothbrush, which I bought from the Home Depot. I got it from the paint section and it came in a pack of 3 - nylon bristles, stainless steel bristles, and brass bristles - used for light to moderate paint removal. The brush did not scratch the hinges. Thanks again!
I have been scrubbing hinges and hardware with paint thinner and steel wool for years and it was mediocre at best - this baking soda thing worked like a CHARM!! I wish I'd known about it before!
thanks this worked fantastic.........
Hey, Im interested in doing this on vintage a bicycle frame but dont know if it will work any pointers or suggestions would be greatly appreciated
All I can say is this really works!! Amazing what baking soda can do, sure was less expensive then buying all new hardware, and hardly took any time at all.
This is genius. Worked amazingly well. I used a wire brush on a few hinges but couldn't get into all of the crevices. Then I tried this (with some hinges that I had not brushed and the ones that I had). The hinges I couldn't get all the way clean came out great (just a bit of wiping with a sponge for total cleanness) and even the other ones that I had not touched came out almost totally clean.
Excellent. Thanks again.
This was a fantastic tip which I highly recommend. I tried this on some hinges on a built in unit in our newly purchased house. They are original with the house (1959) and there were at least 5 layers of thick paint on them. After trying this, the paint just peeled off like sunburned skin (pardon the icky adjective but that's how easy it was!)
Man this worked great. I used this on some painted knobs from a dresser. There was like 3 layers of paint and it just peeled off like skin. No scrubbing or anything. Thank you for the tip.
Man this worked great%21 I used this on some painted knobs from a dresser. There was like 3 layers of paint and it just peeled off like skin%21 No scrubbing or anything. Thank you for the tip%21
(Continued)
Use tongs to retrieve the hardware- the water is very hot! And be careful with the hot pieces of metal- they can burn very easily.
Peel or scrub off the old paint while the metal is still quite hot. Once it cools, it begins to re-adhere to the metal. I used a couple of old dish towels and an old scrub brush. (I had a whole kitchen full of hinges/ hardware, so a toothbrush would have taken too long.)
Let the hardware soak for a while in a pot or bowl of clean water. There was a white film on several of my now paint-free hardware that I think was a combination of paint residue from the water and baking soda. A good long soak in clean water helped.
After the hardware soaks for a while, rinse it again in clean, running water. If there are any little pieces that you missed, scrub it with the clean, running water and your brush.
In about 1.5 hours, I removed 7 or 8 layers of old paint, the oldest layer of which was at least 30 years old. So this trick definit