How to Give a Stainless Steel Appearance to an Appliance

Clean your appliance with a window cleaner and paper towels, removing dirt, dust, fingerprints and food particles.

Remove knobs and handles with a screwdriver if they are detachable. If you can't remove them, cover them with painter's tape.

Place a magnet on the appliance's surface to see if the appliance is metal.

Cover nearby floors and other surfaces with plastic drop cloths.

Apply a water-based primer to the exterior of the appliance if it doesn't have a metal surface, using a paint roller for larger areas and a foam paintbrush for smaller areas. Prime the inside door trim of an appliance such as a refrigerator first. Do not prime an appliance's interior walls, shelves or drawers. Brush and roll the primer vertically for refrigerators and horizontally for dishwashers and stoves. Allow the primer to dry, usually about an hour. Skip this step if your appliance has a metal surface.

Shake the stainless steel paint and stir with a wooden stir stick. Paint the inside door trim of the appliance first, such as a refrigerator, using a foam paintbrush. Roll on the stainless steel paint with a paint roller to the large surface areas of the appliance. Do not paint an appliance's interior walls, shelves or drawers. Brush and roll the paint vertically for refrigerators and horizontally for dishwashers and stoves.

Pull a squeegee foam brush over the freshly painted surface, starting at the top of the appliance and moving down to the bottom. This will remove air bubbles and excess paint. Follow the paint label directions on drying time. Typical drying time is about an hour.

Apply a second coat of stainless steel paint to the appliance, using the foam paintbrush for smaller areas and the paint roller for larger surfaces.

Pull the squeegee foam brush over the freshly painted surface, starting at the top of the appliance and moving down to the bottom. Follow the paint label directions on drying time. Typical drying time is about an hour.

Apply a third coat of stainless steel paint to the appliance, using the foam paintbrush for smaller areas and the paint roller for larger surfaces.

Pull the squeegee foam brush over the freshly painted surface, starting at the top of the appliance and moving down to the bottom. Follow the paint label directions on drying time. Typical drying time is about two hours before applying a protective topcoat.

Apply a clear, protective topcoat to the appliance, using a paint roller for large surface areas and a foam brush for smaller areas. Follow the topcoat label directions on drying time, but typical drying time is about two hours.

Score the painter's tape with a mat knife to avoid pulling off any paint and carefully remove the painter's tape. You can now close the appliance's doors.