Cleaning Wood Trim Before Painting

Then remove the sanding dust and apply a suitable primer.

Cleaning wood trim before painting.

Give the surface a full day to dry before moving on. Here are his recommendations for cleaning woodwork properly. 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. Be sure to rinse off the solution then dry thoroughly.

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. Sometimes a good cleaning is all it takes to bring it back to life says wood finisher john thomas. If the trim is rough and worn start by sanding with coarse 80 grit sandpaper. Use a long handled scrubber brush and a mild detergent to gently scrub away accumulated dirt grime mold and other residue.

Scrub with soap and warm water. It is a powder though can. These are the supplies you ll need. Clean the wood surface thoroughly.

Mist a lint free cleaning rag with the spray. Clean and sand surface image zoom clean varnished surfaces with a soft cloth and odorless mineral spirits. If you start at the top the cleaner can run down the wood and create hard to remove. How to prepare stained and varnished trim step 1.

Step 3 rub the damp cloth over the unfinished wood rubbing with the direction of the wood grain to prevent splintering. Note that if the baseboards in the room you are cleaning are. If your house has mildew you can speed up the cleaning process with a dedicated mildewcide. If the trim is new or already smooth lightly sand using 120 grit sandpaper until all shine disappears from the trim.

Wash the trim clean and rinse one section before moving onto the next section. Wipe the solution away with a rag to clear the dirt. A stiff bristle hand. Tri sodium phosphate is one of those great little secrets hiding in your hardware store.

Shield the door surface around the lock with a cloth as you turn the key both ways to remove any excess lubricant. Don t use paper towels as this will leave behind paper particles that may affect the staining of the wood in the future. Before painting new wood sand all surfaces and edges lightly to smooth the grain. Then move to less coarse sandpaper such as 100 or 120 grit to smooth the surface.

Wash wood from the bottom upward with slow easy up and down strokes so the solution has time to soften the grime. Apply wood patch image zoom apply stainable wood patch whose color matches the surface closely. 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.