How To Paint
Your Bathroom Cabinets

by Simon Phillips

If you’re tired of the dated look of your
bathroom cabinet, but it’s still perfectly functional, giving it a lick of
paint is an economical way to give it a makeover without forking out for a
brand new cabinet.  Painting
bathroom
medicine cabinets is easy to do and is a
great way to give an outdated or worn-looking medicine cabinet a facelift. 
However, before you reach for your paintbrush, have a read through these
tips.

1. First of all, check what your cabinet
is made from – plastic laminated surfaces aren’t suitable for painting, as
the paint won’t stick.  However, wooden, metal and wood veneer
cabinets can be painted successfully.

2. As with any kind of decorating, proper
preparation is key.  Rather than trying to paint round awkward bits
and ending up with paint everywhere, it’s best to unscrew and detach all
the door hinges and handles and put them safely out of the way.  It’s
much easier to remove your doors rather than attempt to paint them whilst
attached to the cabinet.

3. Then give all your surfaces a good clean with TSP (trisodium phosphate), a common degreaser and cleaning agent that can be found in most DIY stores.  Rinse with water and leave to dry before using sandpaper to sand down all the surfaces so they are smooth and ready to take the paint.  This will create a lot of fine dust, which it’s important to clean up properly using a Hoover or damp cloth.

4. Once all the surfaces of your cabinet
are ready to be painted, stick masking tape around the edges that adjoin
the wall and around the inside edges if you’re not planning on painting
the inside, this will help you achieve a neat finish.

5. You’re then ready to paint.  Use a brush or roller, depending on which you prefer to use.  Rollers are particularly good for covering larger areas quickly and without leaving visible brushstrokes.  Choose a satin enamel paint or specialist cabinet paint, which is available from most big hardware stores.  There’s a wide selection of colors to choose from. 6. Paint the inside of the doors first, leaving them to dry while you do the main body and frame, before moving on to the outside of the doors.

7. For a professional finish, you’ll
probably need to apply a second coat, or more.  Follow the
instructions on the tin, but usually it’s advisable to wait several hours
or overnight for the previous coat to dry before applying another.

8. Once you’re satisfied with the color
and finish, you can reassemble your cabinet by attaching the doors and
handles.  You could even fit new handles at this stage if you want to
completely change your cabinet’s appearance.