Cleaning Wood Trim Before Painting

How to prepare stained and varnished trim step 1.

Cleaning wood trim before painting.

Scrub with soap and warm water. If the trim is rough and worn start by sanding with coarse 80 grit sandpaper. An annual clean with water and a mild liquid detergent is good enough for most doors including those wood doors that have been stained or painted. You ll likely remove a thin layer of varnish or shellac too because the grime has melded.

Give the surface a full day to dry before moving on. Step 3 rub the damp cloth over the unfinished wood rubbing with the direction of the wood grain to prevent splintering. If your house has mildew you can speed up the cleaning process with a dedicated mildewcide. Note that if the baseboards in the room you are cleaning are.

Before painting new wood sand all surfaces and edges lightly to smooth the grain. Wipe the solution away with a rag to clear the dirt. Then remove the sanding dust and apply a suitable primer. Don t use paper towels as this will leave behind paper particles that may affect the staining of the wood in the future.

Mist a lint free cleaning rag with the spray. Dip a sponge into a mixture of warm water and dish soap vinegar works well too then go about scrubbing any marks that you can find. It is a powder though can. To prepare previously painted wood strip off cracking flaking or chipping paint sand the surface with 180 grit sandpaper remove the dust and wipe with a damp sponge.

If you start at the top the cleaner can run down the wood and create hard to remove. Apply wood patch image zoom apply stainable wood patch whose color matches the surface closely. Here are his recommendations for cleaning woodwork properly. Be sure to rinse off the solution then dry thoroughly.

Clean and sand surface image zoom clean varnished surfaces with a soft cloth and odorless mineral spirits. These are the supplies you ll need. A stiff bristle hand. Tri sodium phosphate is one of those great little secrets hiding in your hardware store.

Mix up equal parts of paint thinner and a mild soap such as murphy oil soap and apply with a sponge or paintbrush. Then move to less coarse sandpaper such as 100 or 120 grit to smooth the surface. Sometimes a good cleaning is all it takes to bring it back to life says wood finisher john thomas. Wash the trim clean and rinse one section before moving onto the next section.

Clean the wood surface thoroughly. If the trim is new or already smooth lightly sand using 120 grit sandpaper until all shine disappears from the trim. Use a long handled scrubber brush and a mild detergent to gently scrub away accumulated dirt grime mold and other residue.