This post and photos may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you purchase something through any link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Any supplies used may be given to me free of charge, however, all projects and opinions are my own.
Remove paint from door hinges without removing them! Save yourself time and energy with this simple and easy hack to removing paint on door hinges! Don't worry about taking a door down, or boiling hinges in vinegar or harsher chemicals. This simple trick will remove paint from hinges in a snap!
So let's see the before and the after so you can see exactly what I've done. I'm not a very strong girl and I didn't want to have the hassle of taking a door off and trying to figure out if I could hang it level and correctly again. They say that necessity is the mother of all invention, and that was very true here. Those door hinges were driving me nuts and I was going to figure out the easiest way to fix them!
Remove Paint From Hinges Without Removing The Door!
This post may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers
We bought our house brand new, straight from the builder. Apparently the painters our builder used didn't waste their time surfing Pinterest. Otherwise they would have known about this clever little trick! Granted, our house is 5 years old now and Pinterest or the post from UglyDucklingHouse didn't exist, but hey, these were professional painters people! Anyhow, in case you are painting doors (or hiring someone to do so) please share this tip so you don't have to go through the process of stripping hinges of paint!
Anyhow, our interior doors for the most part were done correctly. The painters had painted over the hinges on our back door, front door, and the door going to the garage. Here are a few pics of their stellar job. Maybe they thought it would look more cohesive being the same color? I'm really trying to wrap my mind around why they did this, rather than just assuming they were really lazy.
Please notice the bead board wall I'm building next to it. Blood, sweat and tears--It will be shared in the next few days. Please excuse all the filled nail holes and the wood trim pieces that are trying to take over the spotlight.
Are those not the most awesome WHITE hinges Ever???
Here's the thing. We paid for those brushed nickel hinges. And brushed nickel hinges ye shall have! Well, that's what I told myself.
Here's what you need:
I found this solution online a year or two ago, and sadly I don't remember the source. I've modified it a bit, but the main supply is the same. A magic eraser. It's that simple. Is there anything this little tool can't do? I was skeptical at first, but it was so inexpensive that there was no reason not to try it.
Remove paint from door hinges supplies:
1. Magic Eraser (the original works better), I'm using another brand cause I had it on hand
2. Plastic scraper - mine was a Pampered chef scraper that came with a stone purchase. Great, because they don't scratch!
3. Toothpicks (for getting in those tiny creases)
4. A beverage. Mine is of the adult persuasion, whatever makes the job easier for you! Had it been in the morning, coffee would have been on the menu!
5. ELBOW GREASE! Get ready for a bunch of scrubbing! I also kept a bucket next to me to rinse the eraser out. I've actually had a reader ask "what is elbow grease". I hadn't considered that others might not use this term. It usually means hard labor, like vigorous scrubbing.
But it's so worth it when you see this:
Much better, huh? It looks like a few specks remain, but that is actually the flash off my camera reflecting in the awesome brushed nickel finish. I kept walking back into the room just to see the hinges. I mean really, what a difference!
Hope this helps somebody else out!
You'll get better pics of the finished hinges when the finished wall pics go up!
In case you need some other cleaning tips, you might enjoy these:
Got stubborn stains? How to remove set in stains. Remove grass stains from whites!
Easiest way to remove an ink label printed on a glass jar!
Non toxic easy way to remove sticky tags off of glass
If you like this deceptively easy home hack as much as I do, please give it a five star review below and help me by pinning on Pinterest or sharing on facebook!
CONNECT WITH ME!
Be sure to follow me on my social media, so you never miss a post!
Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Receive an email straight to your inbox every time I post a new recipe, travel recap, or a crafty project -simply sign up for my email in the handy box below!
Heather says
This comment has been removed by the author.
Heather says
Do you think this would work on hinges with years of old paint buildup? All the other things I've read say you have to remove the hinges and boil/soak them. I would love to clean mine without having to remove the door. Thanks!
MrsMajor Hoff says
Heather, I would try it. It's inexpensive and shouldn't cause any damage. It might take a little more elbow grease to get through the layers. Just try one in an inconspicuous spot. I sort of wet mine lightly with the magic eraser and let it sit for a few minutes to try to soften it up a bit. Be sure to let me know how it works for you!
Oona Champan says
I find your article really interesting and well written. Thank you for sharing <3
Ray says
Your tip is amazing. So easy and fast. Thanks for sharing I will definitely use it and will share it with my friends as well.
Julie Craker says
thanks for this information I'm going to try it
Julie Craker says
thanks for this information I'm going to try it
Aleah says
What else could be used in place of the pampered chef scraper do you think? I don't have one of those and I really want to try this. I just painted the doors in my house and there is some paint on the hinges.
MrsMajor Hoff says
Hi Aleah! It's just a piece of plastic, I'm trying to think of an alternative. I know I have larger ones in my drawer, that are for icing the sides of a cake, or for scraping out a bowl. Or for dough. I like the size of the small pampered chef one. You could try a plastic putty knife from the hardware store as well. If you just recently painted, I'm guessing the magic eraser might do the trick on it's own. Let me know how it goes!
Jenny says
Try an old credit card
Cyndi Leigh Kadlec says
I don't see instructions, only the supplies.
MrsMajHoff says
Basically you will scrub the paint off with the magic eraser. Use the simple scraper to get stubborn spots without leaving scratches.
Pam says
All I do is submerge the hinges, pins, and screws in boiling water...no vinegar. Let sit and paint falls off! Have done this for years and it’s that simple!!
MrsMajHoff says
Except that requires you taking the door off the hinges. Sometimes that isn't that easy for someone else, this is the alternative to that.
Sue Kachorek says
After finishing second coat on my front door, I had paint to remove from glass, hardware and kickplate. I had been using a single edge razor, my finger nail, even the Pampered Chef scraper with much effort before checking on line for any ideas. I had Mr Clean Erasers and much doubt
about its effectiveness because of the effort I had already put into the cleanup. Happily surprised to say It worked very quickly on the glass and brass. The fine clean up was done literally in a matter of minutes.
Chris Shoemaker says
There is a product called goof off, that yoyu can use with a rag and or a toothbrush. you can use it before or after the magic eraser scrub to remove any leftover or stubborn spots. It does stink! make sure your area is well ventilated, and wash the area with a mild soap and water mix when finished. perfection!
Kay says
I’m certainly going to give the Magic Eraser a try, but the paint on my hinges is very old. If that doesn’t work, I will try boiling water. A tip I saw to avoid removing the doors was to just take one hinge on a door at a time, i.e. all the top hinges, boil, clean replace. Then move on to all the middle hinges, etc.
MrsMajHoff says
So glad the trick worked for you Sue! Thanks for stopping by!
Arlene says
Ok I’m confused, number 4, I’m assuming you are drinking this as you are working and you not actually wetting the magic eraser with this beverage? Cos you mentioned coffee and I’m like “wait, what.”
MrsMajHoff says
Good catch, yes, just drinking while doing this project. Basically I used the scraper for stubborn spots and the eraser for everything else. The coffee and adult beverage were to fuel me, LOL. Thanks for stopping by!