Prepare Furniture for Paint: Cleaning and Sanding
So you have a great piece of furniture that you’ve decided to paint. But where to start? While it might be tempting, you can’t just open the paint, slap it on and hope for the best. You need to prepare furniture for paint! Your finished product is only going to be as good as your prep work. And trust me, there is nothing worse than getting to the end of a project and realizing that beautiful new finish isn’t sticking well. Literally the worst!
Step 1: Take the piece apart
So this sounds a bit scarier than it is. Most of the time its pretty simple – you want to remove any existing hardware, take out drawers, and remove shelving, and potentially remove doors and hinges (depending on the piece, I will often try and paint it with doors on, getting the hinges to align well when you put them back on can be a challenge – one that I try and avoid). It’s much easier to work on a piece when it is taken apart, and you’ll get a more professional looking finish at the end when you put it back together.
When pulling off the hardware I will store it in a Ziploc bag with the screws. That way when I go to put it back on, I’m not hunting for a missing piece or screw. Even if I’m using new hardware, I usually save the existing. I’ll label the bag with the number of pieces and size of the hardware so I know what I have on hand.
Step 2: Cleaning
This is a must do. No matter how clean a piece looks it still needs more cleaning. Often years of furniture polish or wax may have built up on the surface, and those things are not your friend when trying to get a fresh coat of paint to stick. Greasy surface equals paint not adhering well.
Start by vacuuming the piece, inside and out. Don’t forget all those cobwebs underneath. Working in sections, take a degreaser such as Simple Green or Krud Kutter, liberally spray the surface and let it sit for a minute or so. If there’s a lot of buildup I may let it sit a bit longer. Then using a green Scotch Brite pad, I will scrub well. It’s okay if you leave some small scratches in the finish, the sanding in the next step will take care of them. If there are cracks or crevices, I will use a toothbrush to scrub out that grime.
Using microfiber cloth I will wipe off the now dirty degreaser and repeat the process if I feel like there is still more dirt or grime remaining. Finally I’ll take some water (in a spray bottle) and spray down and wipe back the whole piece to remove any residue that’s left over from the degreaser.
One thing to note. If a piece is REALLY dirty I will start by cleaning with a bucket of Dawn dish soap and water. This just helps to get some of the dirt off before cleaning thoroughly with degreaser.
Step 3: Scuff Sanding
I get asked about sanding all the time. Do I need strip or sand off the existing finish completely? What is scuff sanding? What grit do I use? If you are painting a piece and the finish is in good condition, you don’t need to sand it all off. You just need to “scuff sand” or give the paint something to adhere to. You are roughing up the surface and giving it some teeth. I generally use 220 grit for this, but if a finish is particularly shiny or glossy I may use 180 or even 150 grit.
That said, sometimes the finish is not in the best shape (it may be why you are painting it in the first place). In this case you will need to sand out any imperfections, and may have to remove the old finish if it’s failing. Some scratches may be deep enough that they don’t sand out and need to be repaired (more on that here).
Also, if you are painting a previously painted piece, it’s important to remember that the new paint job is only as good as the previous paint job. So if its peeling or flaking off, you will likely have to strip off the finish and start from scratch. At a minimum, make sure you sand off all off old brush strokes, as those will show in the new finish.
Once sanded, you will need to wipe off all of the sanding dust, either with a microfiber cloth or tack cloth. And that’s it, you have successfully prepared your furniture for paint! Questions? Ask away in the comments and I’ll do my best to respond quickly.
be sure to check out my other posts on furniture painting basics:
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through those links, at no cost to you. I appreciate your support.