Cleaning Wood Trim Before Painting

Step 3 rub the damp cloth over the unfinished wood rubbing with the direction of the wood grain to prevent splintering.

Cleaning wood trim before painting.

Clean the wood surface thoroughly. If you start at the top the cleaner can run down the wood and create hard to remove. Scrub with soap and warm water. Wash the trim clean and rinse one section before moving onto the next section.

Note that if the baseboards in the room you are cleaning are. If the trim is new or already smooth lightly sand using 120 grit sandpaper until all shine disappears from the trim. How to prepare stained and varnished trim step 1. Sometimes a good cleaning is all it takes to bring it back to life says wood finisher john thomas.

Tri sodium phosphate is one of those great little secrets hiding in your hardware store. These are the supplies you ll need. Wash wood from the bottom upward with slow easy up and down strokes so the solution has time to soften the grime. It is a powder though can.

Mist a lint free cleaning rag with the spray. Then remove the sanding dust and apply a suitable primer. You ll likely remove a thin layer of varnish or shellac too because the grime has melded. Wipe the solution away with a rag to clear the dirt.

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. Mix up equal parts of paint thinner and a mild soap such as murphy oil soap and apply with a sponge or paintbrush. 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. If the trim is rough and worn start by sanding with coarse 80 grit sandpaper.

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. Here are his recommendations for cleaning woodwork properly. Shield the door surface around the lock with a cloth as you turn the key both ways to remove any excess lubricant. When you re satisfied with the wood s appearance rinse the exterior from top to bottom with a garden hose.

Be sure to rinse off the solution then dry thoroughly. Use a long handled scrubber brush and a mild detergent to gently scrub away accumulated dirt grime mold and other residue. Give the surface a full day to dry before moving on. Before painting new wood sand all surfaces and edges lightly to smooth the grain.

Don t use paper towels as this will leave behind paper particles that may affect the staining of the wood in the future. Apply wood patch image zoom apply stainable wood patch whose color matches the surface closely. Then move to less coarse sandpaper such as 100 or 120 grit to smooth the surface.