How to Remove Old Paint From Antique Brass Door Hardware

Remove old paint from an antique brass door handle by placing in a slow cooker.

Antique brass door knobs are coming back into fashion as old becomes new again. Some antique door knobs have layers of paint hiding the elegant brass plating. Over the years, paint drips onto the door knobs when a room is painted without masking or covering the door knob. The paint dries on the knob, leaving spotty marks. Scraping at the paint may scratch and damage the delicate brass. With the right tools the paint removes easily from the antique door knobs.

Things You'll Need

• Nylon brush
• Slow cooker
• Mild liquid dish soap
• Rags
• Cloths

Instructions

1. Brush off loose paint from the antique brass door hardware with a nylon brush.

2. Place the brass hardware into a slow cooker.

3. Fill the slow cooker with water, covering the hardware completely. Pour in 1/4 cup mild liquid dish soap.

4. Turn the slow cooker to the lowest setting. Allow the hardware to remain in the slow cooker overnight.

5. Turn off the slow cooker the next morning. Allow the water to cool for 15 minutes.

6. Lay old rags on the counter. Remove the hardware from the slow cooker using tongs. Place the hardware onto the rags.

7. Wipe the loosened paint from the brass hardware with damp rags. Scrub stubborn bits of paint gently from the hardware with a wet nylon brush. Rinse the remaining specks of paint from the hardware.

8. Dry the brass hardware with a clean cloth.

Tips & Warnings

• Spray a beeswax polish onto brass hardware after removing paint. Wipe clean with a soft cloth to restore shine to the brass.

References

• This Old House: How to Strip Paint From Hardware
• Apartment Therapy: How to Slow Cook Paint Off of Hardware