I've learned one of the cardinal rules of home improving... and that is don't start a small project unless you're willing to tackle a bigger one. It all started innocently enough, I need to put our toiletries and miscellaneous bathroom accessories away, but have been unwilling to use the medicine cabinet as-was, I wanted to strip repaint it first. It smelled a little funny and there were stains and... well ew.
There were at least three coats of paint on the inside and on the shelves, and I thought I could get away with just the inside, leaving the door on. That didn't work out so well, and so after one round of stripping, the door had to come off along with the hardware all pried out and next thing I know I'm doing the whole thing. I counted five layers of paint on the outside. Two shades of beige, blue, yellow, and white.
Some tips on using this particular chemical stripper:
1. Use the right tools. The first time I tried applying it to the kitchen cupboard shelves, I didn't have any brushes in the house yet, and tried all kinds of things - putty knife, foam paint pad (Don't use these for this ever! They melt from the chemical), and finally a wadded up piece of paper towel. Use a brush. Use a metal paint scraper.
2. Be patient. I wanted instant gratification and scraped as soon as I'd finished applying. It works a little better if you let it sit at least half an hour. I didn't see any great benefit to letting it sit all day. Also, when there are several layers of paint, expect to have to re-do it a second time. Make sure you cover everything thoroughly. I erred on the side of using to much just to be sure, but missing spot will mean for sure having to go back a second time.
3. It's messy. There's no way to avoid it. It's kind of gross to use, but I had a whole bottle of it, and felt the need to used it all up. When it's gone, I'm going to try the heat gun method that everyone else seems to favor.
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