How Do I Remove Paint From Wood Cabinets?

There may be beautifully aged wood lurking under the layers of chipped avocado green and pink paint on your cabinets, and the only way to find out is to remove the old paint. While this can be a somewhat messy and arduous task, the results may be well worth it. To see whether restoring wood cabinets to their original glory will be worth the effort, first remove a small area of paint to get a look at the underlying wood. Once stripped and sanded, it may take no more than a couple of coats of varnish to have heirloom cabinets.

Drop cloths or newspapers
Paint brush
Scraper
Miscellaneous paint removal tools
Steel or brass wool
Metal bucket
Mineral spirits

Instructions

- 1
  Prepare a work area. The Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance stresses that plenty of ventilation is important when working with paint stripper and recommends a shaded outdoor area such as garage or carport. If you must work inside, open windows and use fans to dissipate fumes.
- 2
  Protect the floor beneath the work area with old drop cloths, cardboard or layers of newspaper. Paint remover can damage vinyl, synthetic carpet and hardwood floors. When removing paint from upper cabinets that are affixed to the walls, protect the counter tops beneath just as you have protected the floor.
- 3
  Tape masking paper with masking tape to walls surrounding the cabinets to protect adjacent painted surfaces.
- 4
  Remove cabinet doors and drawers and take off all hardware such as hinges and handles with a screwdriver.
- 5
  Read the paint remover label carefully. While methylene chloride is the most common active ingredient, there are several different formulas and application methods.
- 6
  Apply the paint remover. With most formulas, it's applied with a paint brush by brushing in one direction only, instead of back and forth. Wait for the recommended time; typically about 20 minutes.
- 7
  Scrape off the softened paint with a stiff paint scraper, working from the top down on vertical surfaces. Work with the grain of the wood instead of against it to minimize the risk of scratches which will show up later when you stain or varnish the cabinets. Discard the sticky paint sludge into an old metal bucket or onto newspapers.
- 8
  Apply another coating of paint remover--it is rare that a single coat will do the job. Be creative in your use of tools to get into corners and raised detail in the wood. Cotton swabs, small screwdrivers, a toothbrush and toothpicks can all come in handy for getting the final shreds of paint from corners.
- 9
  Scrub the cabinet surfaces clean with mineral spirits and steel or brass wool as a final step when all the old paint is removed. Let the cabinets dry for at least eight hours before refinishing.

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