Making sure that the surface that you’re going to paint on is clean is vitally important when painting furniture. Because if you don’t, you may find yourself in a bit of a pickle with paint peeling! Sometimes you can’t even see the dirt and grime build up on a piece. Today I’m sharing How To Clean Furniture Before Painting to avoid this.
How To Clean Furniture Before Painting
Years of build-up occurs from us humans touching the furniture and oils from our skin. Also, the oils from your kitchen when cooking also play a big part in settling on your furniture too. Just think of the top of your kitchen cupboards and all the layers of cooking oils that gather up there. Also, your furniture polish like Mr Sheen adds layers of oils and build up. All of these things act as a barrier to your paint and don’t allow your paint to adhere properly.
Supplies needed:
- Fusion Mineral Paint – TSP
- Old Lint Free Rags
- Warm Water
- Small container that holds up to 1 litre of water or a spray bottle
- Non-Scratch Sponge to remove any sticky leftover residue.
Step 1 – Depending on the size of your project, add up to 1 litre of warm water to either a small container or a spray bottle. Add 2 cap fulls of TSP to your water and give it a good mix.
Step 2 – Using your old rag wipe down your piece of furniture. You can also wipe down previously painted surfaces as well. Let your piece dry and get on with the fun bit of painting your new piece.
A few fun facts about TSP:
- TSP is a water-based biodegradable degreaser
- No rinsing is required before you paint. Clean with TSP and you’re ready to paint
- Can be used on painted or non painted surfaces
- No phosphates
- Removes oil, grease, fingerprints and stains
- Safe to use on all surfaces such as wood, paint, melamine, plastic, metal and glass
For the leftover sticky residue from stickers its always a good idea to use a non-scratch sponge along with the TSP in a circular motion to remove.
Now you’re all ready to paint!
Happy Painting!
6 comments
This is awesome that this product does not have to be rinsed off. I’m curious at to why it doesn’t since other tsp products do require rinsing.
Hi there Susan! Great question!! The reason that it doesn’t need to be rinsed off is that it contains no phosphates and completely biodegradable.The other TSP products that you see on the market contain phosphates and need to be removed before painting otherwise it can react with your paint. I hope that explains it for you 🙂
Great tips Sam!!!
So glad you think so, Deborah! Thank you.
Hi Sam, you have some great tips here. It is essential to clean up your furniture if you want the new paint to look good and last long. Even the smallest dust particles can get stuck under the coat of paint and make the furniture look rough. I’ve never used FUSION’s degreaser, but after reading this I will give it a try! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Filip! yes, it sure is vital to make sure you have a nice clean canvas to paint on when painting furniture otherwise all your hard work will result in the paint lifting and you having to start alllll over again! SO happy you found this post useful!