How to Remove Latex Enamel on Furniture With Steel Wool

Latex enamel is a strong paint that will give your furniture a bright and glossy finish. This is one way to restore old furniture to make it look new and pristine, but because it is quite tough it can be laborious to remove. Instead of spending hours sanding off the thick layer of paint, use chemicals to dissolve the paint from the wood so you can scrape it off. Always use extreme caution whenever using paint strippers.

Drop cloth
Paintbrush
Paint stripper
Superfine steel wool

Instructions

- 1
  Lay a drop cloth under the piece of furniture. Work outside if possible, and wear gloves to protect your hands from the chemical paint stripper.
- 2
  Dip a paintbrush into the paint stripper. Choose a variety of paint stripper designed for removing latex paint on wood. Choose a thick paint stripper if you are removing several layers of paint. If not, use a thin liquid paint stripper.
- 3
  Brush the stripper over the entire wood surface. Let it sit according to manufacturer’s directions. You will notice the paint beginning to bubble and peel.
- 4
  Scrape the paint off the wood furniture with a paint scraper. Continue scraping until you remove as much of the paint as possible.
- 5
  Scrub off the rest of the paint with super fine steel wool. This is often necessary for removing paint from detailed surfaces on the wood furniture. Super fine steel wool is the least coarse grade of steel wool.
- 6
  Repeat the process if some paint remains on the wood furniture.

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