As the most successful architectural salvage company in the United States, we often find beautiful antique and vintage doorknobs that have been, tragically, painted over. One of our main challenges is removing the paint without damaging the hardware. Using a solvent like paint thinner could damage the metal and ruin the look of the hardware. Removing paint, lacquer, or other deposits from antique metals is one of the main questions we receive from our customers. Luckily, cleaning and restoring those vintage doorknobs is much easier than you might think. All you need is an old pot you’re ready to get rid of, some hot water, and a few simple ingredients that you most likely have laying around in your kitchen.
To get that paint off your vintage pieces, simply fill your old pot with water and bring the water to a gentle boil. Then you can carefully drop your doorknobs in or place them carefully in the pot using a pair of grilling tongs, and after a few minutes, the paint should begin to come right off. The sludge left behind in the pot will be pretty disgusting, and it’s best not to reuse the pot for cooking once you’re done. After boiling, you should be able to easily wipe or gently scrape away any remaining paint. Be sure to wear gloves, and avoid touching the metal with your bare hands! It’s HOT! As an additional bonus, this method will usually also remove any lacquer that has been used on the doorknobs. These now de-lacquered metals will be an excellent choice to use in areas such as laundry rooms, bathrooms, or other more humid areas of your home.
While many homeowners prefer the patina on older metal doorknobs, some homeowners are looking for a more polished look. Vintage metals can look fantastic when restored to their original bright shine, particularly brass. Polishing antique brass door hardware without scratching or otherwise damaging the surface is a concern of many homeowners, and we often get asked what can be done to polish up these beautiful pieces. Unfortunately, many modern methods and suggestions for cleaning can damage doorknobs that are only plated metal. Luckily, there are gentler methods that are easy to mix right in your own kitchen.
Before cleaning your antique hardware, you can mix up your own gentle brass cleaner with a small amount of equal parts flour, salt, and vinegar. This naturally gentle cleaner won’t scratch the surface of your vintage doorknobs, even if they’re not solid brass. Dip a soft, damp cloth into the homemade cleanser and apply to the door hardware. When you wipe clean, even tougher tarnish should come right off. It’s always best to try the gentle method before using the harsher commercial cleaners. In addition to damaging the finish, many of these cleansers have chemicals in them that can leave metals like antique brass looking more like copper. While copper is lovely, it certainly doesn’t have the bright tones that brass does. If you do decide to use a commercial cleaner, be sure to test whether your hardware is completely brass or just plated metal – it will make a difference in which cleanser you will need to use.
As you can see, cleaning up and polishing those antique doorknobs is easy if you’re willing to take a little time and care. Using these gentle methods will help preserve the original beauty of these pieces without damaging the metals or scratching the surfaces. If you still have questions about cleaning your vintage or antique doorknobs or other hardware, feel free to contact us, or come by one of our locations. If you’re looking for some vintage pieces to add to the doorknobs you already have, or if you’re searching for other antique pieces, you can view our wide selection online here.
Stephany Colins says
February 25, 2015 at 1:08 pmThank you so much for this post! I have an old beautiful doorknob at home but it is covered with awful green paint and I had no idea how to get rid of that stupid color decision. Thanks a lot for the tips!Colindale Carpet Cleaners Ltd.
Katie Jones says
June 4, 2015 at 1:42 pmThank you for the information provided here on removing paint. In my father’s home, there are some door knobs that he loves for their look, but doesn’t want to destroy it. Some work needs to be done in order to strip the paint. It seems simple enough to remove it by just boiling hot water and dipping it in. I will have to give this a shot the next weekend I go.
A J says
March 16, 2017 at 2:25 amHello,
Can I remove paint on antique glass door knobs with this boiling method? Thanks for your help.
ogtadmin says
May 4, 2017 at 3:01 pmJust soaking them in hot water helps loosen the paint. I wouldn’t boil the glass.
Mary Boss says
August 23, 2017 at 11:58 amI have a problem. I did put the antique glass knobs in water. Now they have water inside them and the way they were made, I can’t find a way to get it out! Tried putting them in rice and putting by the dehumidifier, but neither has worked yet. Don’t want to drill them, but that may be the only way. Any suggestions?
ogtadmin says
August 23, 2017 at 2:37 pmMary –
I’m so sorry you’ve run into trouble with your knobs! I have a few suggestions, but would want to see a picture of them first. I will send you an email in a minute so we can have a direct line of contact.
Angela says
February 25, 2018 at 10:26 amI just created the same problem myself! Can you also help me get the water out ?
I can send u pics. This happened with two and I have lots more to do, don’t wanna make this mistake on them
Steve says
February 26, 2018 at 12:44 pmCan you boil the entire lockset? If not, how do you easily get the paint off the exposed portion of the lockset where the striker is?
ogtadmin says
April 30, 2018 at 3:25 pmI would take it apart and soak it in boiling hot water separately.
Daniel Woods says
April 24, 2018 at 5:33 amThanks for your helpful information that you gave on your article. I have an old beautiful doorknob at home I had no idea how to get rid of that from doorknob. After read this article now i understand what should i do for remove doorknob color. I have a question for you that is Can I remove paint on antique glass door knobs with this boiling method? Thanks in advance for giving me the clarification and also for your informative article.
Joy burris says
April 25, 2018 at 3:46 pmSome of my drawer put is silver some copper?
ogtadmin says
April 30, 2018 at 3:27 pmI would soak them in hot water from a tea pot then use a scrubby pad like the back of sponge to gently remove the paint.
jackie bishop says
May 16, 2018 at 1:42 pmInstead of submerging hardware in a crock pot or boiling would using a steamer work? If you think the paint particles will stick to the steamer what a light coat of spray of oil (Pam)?
Ana Haig says
July 16, 2018 at 12:06 pmI have antique glass knobs that were covered in polyurethane and I can’t figure out the best way to remove it. Help!!! Any suggestions are appreciated!
ogtadmin says
July 21, 2018 at 2:43 pmDon’t soak any glass doorknobs in water in a pot! You are bound to get water inside even if it is accidental as you may have already experienced.
What we do here at OGT for glass knobs is use paint stripper on the surface of the glass and brass base of the knob and then use a clean rag to wipe off after it sits for a little while. Depending on how many coats of paint is there you may need to reapply. Then if you want to polish the knob you can follow up with a chemical cleaning agent called “Noxon” which is sold at your regular hardware stores or use “Brasso” or any other brass cleaner for hardware. Any questions feel free to email us back.
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