Lyndsey How to strip cabinets for a beautiful refinish result.
If you are looking for the best cabinet refinishing method for long lasting beauty and results, this would be it! Decided to refinish your cabinets? Think about the results you are looking to achieve. If you desire high quality results with durability, stripping your cabinets is likely your answer! If you are painting your cabinets and they currently have a high gloss finish, stripping them is a MUST! So… let’s talk about how to strip cabinets.
If you are looking for a high quality cabinet paint, or how to instructions, you can find them in my post How To Paint Cabinets | Give Your Kitchen a Facelift.
Some links in this article may be affiliate links. This does not affect the cost to you, but may provide commission for items purchased.
I do not receive commission from Nuvo Cabinet Transformations or Giani Granite.
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How To Strip Cabinets
Supplies Needed
- Stripping agent
- Plastic paint scraper / putty knife
- Scotch-Brite scouring pads
- Bucket of water
- Mineral spirits
- Disposable rags
- Chemical gloves
- Throw away paint brush (cheap)
- Paper towel
- Junk toothbrush
Step 1
Select the stripping agent you are going to use for your cabinets. I just recently had my counters replaced with quartz counter tops, so the last thing I wanted was to get stripper on my counters. It would ruin the surface!
I chose to complete this step with a gel stripping agent that would cling to the surface of the cabinets, and would be less likely to drip. I used Citristrip stripping paste and gel. Be sure to follow all precautions and instructions from the manufacturer.
Step 2
Gather your supplies. You will need to tape off any areas you won’t be painting, and cover all surfaces with drop cloths. You will need these for the painting stage anyways, so it’s best to complete it well, now. Use a cheap paint brush to apply the citristrip, and have paper towel and a bucket with water and scotch-brite pads ready for removing the gloss.
Step 3
Follow the manufacturer directions for applying the citristrip (or your stripping agent of choice). Citristrip stripping paste recommends using either a paint brush or putty knife to apply the paste. I chose to use a paint brush, but it must be applied in a very thick coat. Apply to the area you plan to work on first. You can do this in large areas, but you run the risk of the stripping paste drying after scraping, but before scrubbing. If it dries, this process becomes harder, so I recommend working in small sections.
Step 4
Let the stripping agent sit on the applied area for the recommended manufacturer time. Citristrip recommends allowing at least 30 minutes, and up to 24 hours of time. If you are letting this sit for 24 hours, be sure to cover the area with plastic wrap so the stripping agent doesn’t start to dry out. A lot of gloss finishes will start to bubble when they are ready to be removed.
Step 5
Removing the stripping paste and coating on your cabinets is the messiest part of this process. Be sure to follow the manufacturer instructions. Citristrip paste recommends using a plastic paint scraper to remove the coating (I used metal, but you MUST be very careful not to scratch your surface). There are no directions or suggestions on what to do with it… I have found that the best solution is to wipe the mess into paper towel and dispose of it. This was the cleanest solution I had found to removing the stripping past and coating.
Once you have scraped off all areas, use a scotch pad dipped in Citristrip to scrub at the stubborn areas. If you are stripping your cabinets to paint them, keep in mind that it doesn’t need to be perfect. A good primer will help to cover any color differences very well.
Use a toothbrush to get into fine areas that may be difficult to remove the paste and coating. Use your bucket of water and scotch pad to wash off excess stripping agent and coating that may have been left behind. This will also take a lot of the leftover color and stain out. You can also complete this step using a paint thinner for higher success.
Step 6
Allow the cabinet doors and frames to dry. Once dried, sand down any areas that were not stripped well.
Step 7
Use a lint free cloth and mineral spirits (along with a toothbrush for fine areas) to clean off any excess stripping agent and finish left over. You want to get these as clean as possible, including removing the dust from sanding.
From here, move to step 5 of my post How To Paint Cabinets | Give Your Kitchen a Facelift.
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Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions in the comments below!
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My fella and I have been talking about stripping our kitchen cabinets for years but have so far chickened out. You make it sound so easy. I think we’ll get around to it one day. x
It’s honestly not as bad as I was anticipating, but it’s definitely tedious! I’d be happy to answer any questions if you decide to strip them.
[…] How to Strip Kitchen Cabinets […]
Thanks for the tutorial, Lyndsey… Thanks for sharing at Tuesday Turn About! Your post is featured at this week’s party! Pinned!
Thank you very much!