Removing over-painted emulsion - how?

[DoinItForTheKids]

Hi

One of my children 'helped' me paint the architraves in my hallway (I wasn't there at the time) and despite my clear instructions of how this part of the job (unlike the painting of the walls which is in the same colour) is tricky and fiddly, needs masking and care so that you're not overpainting onto the doors, the hinges.

Of course, the doors and hinges are now super covered in emulsion paint as DD didn't follow the preparatory steps which would have totally prevented the over-painting from happening and the hinges and doors are swathed in paint now.

It's dried now of course and I need ideas for how to get the paint off. I can't sand it off the hinges - they'll get all scratched, I can't sand it off the doors as it will be obvious where the sanding has been done. And there are some small blobs on the laminate floor as well that need removing.

What chemically breaks down emulsion (what Americans call latex paint) so it will just easily rub off?? Anyone know??

Your hopefully!

Just send it lightly - you'll have to touch up the woodwork afterwards. You could try a damp magic sponge but I haven't found that particularly effective myself.

Thanks wowfudge but I can't sand the doors - they're wood, not painted. If I sand the doors it will take off the colour of the surface of the wood and the door will be ruined. Similarly, I can't sand shiny chrome hinges that DD has covered in paint or they'll be scratched and then look appalling.

I need to know what chemical or whatever will actually break down the composition of the emulsion paint and allow it to just come off - it is emulsion after all, not gloss, and is (I believe) a 'water-based' paint. Obviously I can't douse the tops/edge of the doors with copious amounts of water (nor the laminate floor) as that would cause the wood to bloom; hinge full of water might then rust.

Unfortunately 'removing paint that's dried' brings up all sorts of stuff about stripping pine doors coated in 10 layers of gloss and that sort of thing, but I can't find anything about removing dried over-painting.

I need something that will work whether the paint is on the wooden doors, gloss-painted architrave (that bit of it that wasn't meant to be painted) and the hinges.

The paint on the laminate should just come off with the rough part of one of those washing up sponges (damp), I've done it before and it shouldn't scratch as long as you're not vicious with it.

I wonder if something like t-cut would work on the hinges?

Can't help with the door unfortunately, other than maybe a magic sponge. Are the doors old pine Victorian ones or modern?

Green scouring pads and Brillo pads are pretty good and not as harsh as sandpaper. I've used both on old waxed wood and not ruined the surface.

Okay - because you didn't say otherwise I thought the doors were painted. Try surgical spirit on a cloth on the hinges - but have a damp cloth to wipe them off with straight away. Tbh a finger nail might work okay on them - depends how much paint there is. I'm doing the last touch ups of some decorating so I know what a pain it is to get paint in the wrong place! Try a thin plastic scraper - a kitchen spatula with a thin edge for example - or a plastic card to scrape the emulsion off the doors.

Try a steam cleaner on the hinges. It will make the paint peel off.
Water is a no-no for wood. So, abrasion is the only solution. Then you will have to varnish, wax, whatever again.

Saying that... maybe sugar soap?

Hi pigletthedog. They're the modern variety sadly so I think sanding would take off whatever top layer of dye/colour is on them. I'll maybe give a go to the doors with a scouring pad see if that does anything. Thank you.

Thanks all I'll give some of these ideas a go!

Actually you can't beat a fingernail for small blobs. Pick off most of it and then wash vigorously. I speak from experience with my door furniture and wobbly hands.

Thank you Lucisky.

Am I missing something, you emulsioned the architrave? As in the wood or mdf bit that goes around the door?

Decorators daughter, smh .....

Baby wipes, I kid you not. I was given some in the hospital, I am a flannel and water girl. I used them to clean emulsion off the skirting boards.

FatBarry - don't know what smh is but it is early in the morning and haven't had a coffee yet! Yes, the facing part of the architrave is indeed emulsion in a silk emulsion which is the same as is on the walls. This is a technique for making small spaces look larger - you keep the colour the same. It's a thing .

Baby wipes RD - I'm with you on the flannel and water - can't be doing with wipes but you could well be right. I gave up doing anything this weekend but might have a crack at this in the next few days and certainly will have a go with baby wipes - it certainly can't hurt and a bonus may be that my doors smell nice after!!

White spirit?

It's a thing? No way would an apprentice trained professional decorator paint architrave in emulsion, this sounds like changing rooms rough and ready circa 2000.

Smh - shakes my head.

And I'd care what you think, because.....?

It is a decorating fashion (but yes, more changing rooms than professional).
However, even the fashionistas say that it is not hardwearing and therefore not a good idea for anything likely to get knocked through every day use eg door frames and skirting boards.

Maybe eggshell mixed to the same colour as the walls would achieve the same result without the scratches?

I've never heard of emulsion on architrave either!

It should come off the door and hinges quite easily. Hot damp cloth and a fingernail should do it.

What about one of those magic eraser sponges? They're only slightly abrasive but in my experience do remove emulsion.

Emulsion on non porous surface should wash off with water and soap.

Brown dettol also strips anything off anything in my experience!