How To Remove Paint From Metal Hardware

Remove paint from metal hardware with boiling water

Removing Paint from hardware with boiling water works best if you know you have water-based or latex paint.

Steps:

1. Fill an old pot that you no longer use for cooking with water and bring it to a simmer.
2. Add a few drops of liquid soap and tablespoon of baking soda to the simmering water.
3. Drop the hardware into the pot and let it simmer for 15- to 30 minutes.
4. Pull the hardware out of the pot and allow it to cool.
5. To control the mess of paint chips, lay your hardware on cardboard or a plastic painter’s drop cloth to scrape off the paint.
6. Peel and scrape the paint off using a plastic spatula, putty knife or toothbrush while the hardware is still slightly warm. Avoid using metal instruments to remove the paint to prevent scratching your hardware.
7. A toothpick may help getting into small or tight areas of your hardware.
8. For difficult-to-remove paint, feel free to boil the hardware again.

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Remove paint from metal hardware with a crockpot

This is a great process when you don’t want to sit around and supervise a pot of boiling water. Allowing the paint and metal hardware to sit in water overnight also does a very good job of loosening paint in hard-to-reach areas. But, be aware that leaving the metal pieces in water overnight may activate rust or oxidation.

Steps: 

1. Fill an old slow cooker or crock pot that you no longer use for cooking with water, and add a few drops of dish soap.
2. Submerge the painted hardware in the water.
3. Cover and allow to slow cook overnight.
4. NEXT day: Remove from crock pot.
5. Lay your hardware on cardboard or a plastic painter’s drop cloth to scrape off the paint.
6. Peel and scrape the paint off using a plastic spatula, plastic putty knife and toothbrush while the hardware is still slightly warm. Avoid using metal instruments to remove the paint to prevent scratching your hardware.
7. A toothpick may help getting into small or tight areas of your hardware.
8. For difficult-to-remove paint, put the hardware back in the slow cooker for a few more hours.

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How to strip paint off metal hardware with a paint stripper

Removing paint with a paint stripper is quicker than the other two methods and eliminates a lot of elbow grease. It will also break down both oil—and water-based paints if you are unsure of what you have.

Before you apply the paint stripper to all your metal hardware, to ensure the chemicals don’t damage or strip away the finish of your hardware or fixtures, try your paint stripper in a test spot that won’t be visible.

Steps:

1. To work comfortably and safely, set up your work area in a well-ventilated space. Use a plastic paint liner to protect the floor and surfaces. On top of the plastic liner, lay out sheets of cardboard to soak up the paint and stripper as it comes off.
2. If using a spray-on paint stripper, spray a generous coat to ensure full coverage of your hardware and saturation of the paint with the stripper.
3. If using a brush on the paint stripper, use a cheap chip paint brush to generously apply the paint stripper to the areas with paint, ensuring full coverage and that the paint is fully saturated with a stripper.
4. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on time for the paint stripper to bubble up the paint.
5. Use a small plastic spatula or putty knife. Scrape away Paint.
6. You may have to apply another layer of paint stripper to remove hard-to-reach or stubborn areas.
7. A toothbrush and/or toothpick will help get paint out of tight areas.
8. If your hardware doesn’t have a protective finish or a metal plating, you may use a ball of fine steel wool to finish cleaning up the metal.
9. Once all paint has been removed, rinse the hardware with warm water and liquid soap to ensure all chemicals have been removed before handling the hardware at the time of reinstallation.

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FAQs

How do you remove paint from hinges without removing them?
Removing paint from hardware without removing the hinges is a big challenge. There are small, tight places that will be very difficult to reach without taking the hinge out. With that said, Start by masking off the area around your hardware with painter’s tape. Your first line of defense is a sharp razor. Using a razor to scrape off paint from hardware can take off much of the paint.  Be careful not to ding or damage the finish.  If your paint is water-based, again, be sure to tape around the hinge and spray some goof-off on the panted areas, allow it to seep in, and gently rub back with a gently scouring pad. Nothing is fully guaranteed. Patience will go a long way when leaving the hinges in place to remove the paint.

Is it more difficult to remove oil-based paint or water-based paint from old metal hardware?
Oil-based paint is usually harder to remove from hardware simply because it is more durable and is often much older. Also, boiling them in water may do very little to budge oil-based paint.

What is another option for removing oil-based paint from metal hardware?
Another option for removing oil-based paint from metal hardware is melting the paint with a painter’s heat gun and scraping it away with a plastic spatula. Test the heat level to a temperature that starts to bubble the paint. Be careful not to melt your plastic spatula with the heat gun.