I'm dealing with a frustrating situation in my new home where the previous owner decided to paint everything in sight white—lightswitches, outlets, molding, door frames, doors, doorknobs, electric boxes, baseboard heaters, hooks, and even the shelves in my walk-in closet. It's ridiculously annoying, especially the painted doorknobs! I knew about this before buying the house in this crazy economy, but that doesn't make it easier to deal with. I've been slowly trying to fix everything with just a box cutter, but it's pretty slow going. Does anyone have better tools or methods to help me tackle this mess?
7 Answers
I totally feel you! I faced a similar mess when I bought my house; it was just one room but still, paint was everywhere. I remember even the washing machine cord was painted into the outlet, which was ridiculous!
You could try removing the doorknobs and hinges and put them in an old crock pot to strip the paint. Adding a bit of soap might help, and you can find cheap crock pots at thrift stores. Just be sure to do the hinges one at a time off the doors! Check out some videos for a few tips too!
THANK YOU for the doorknobs advice! I wasn’t looking to buy new ones, lol.
Oh God, not the hinges too! This just gets better and better, right?
An oscillating tool with a scraper blade could come in handy for this job—might save you some effort!
Make sure to check your water shut off valves too; mine were actually sprayed shut! Sorry you're going through this—it really sucks.
I knew about this beforehand, but it doesn't hit you until you're living with it. Just one of those landlord special deals, I guess.
You could also try hitting the doorknobs with a hair dryer to see if it loosens the paint. Might save you a lot of hassle if it works!
Honestly, for the outlets and switches, they’re super cheap to replace. Now's a great time to upgrade to USB outlets or even smart switches while you're at it!
If the box cutter is your go-to, I’d still suggest checking out tools like the Dewalt retractable utility knife. It might help a bit more than a standard box cutter. Sad to hear about your house situation, though. I've been there myself with a painted room—it's wild what people think is acceptable!
YES! The refrigerator plug is painted to its outlet too. Who does that? It's insane!