One of the questions I get asked most is how to clean a piece of furniture before painting.
If you have been here for a while, you know that I have painted many pieces of furniture over the years. I have been rescuing pieces that still have loads of potential and bringing them home to breathe new life into them.
In the twenty years that I have been flipping furniture, I have learned so much throughout the process. The biggest lesson I have learned? If you don’t clean your piece properly, the outcome will turn out horribly.
Taking the time to clean a piece of furniture before you paint will save you so much time, money, and energy throughout the makeover. It will ensure the rest of the process does what it is supposed to and you walk away with an amazing piece in the end.
There isn’t any magic to cleaning a piece of furniture. Every piece will be different. The amount of time it takes to clean will depend on the piece. The products you use to clean will depend on the piece.
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Supplies To Have On Hand For Most Furniture Cleaning
- Vinegar and water mixture (I usually put about 1/4 c. of vinegar into a spray bottle and then fill the rest with water).
- An old toothbrush (to get into hard to reach crevices)
- Old rags
- Paper towels
- Bucket
- Shop vacuum (we love THIS shop vac)
- Cotton Swabs (to get into hard to reach crevices)
I have pulled many pieces from barns and old sheds that need a lot more cleaning. But, 98% of the time, the products above are all it takes to clean your furniture piece before you paint it.
Here is a video showing you how to clean a piece of furniture before you paint it:
One of the most important things you can do for your furniture makeover is to give it a good cleaning before you do anything else. It will ensure a better makeover and a great finish in the end. Trust me! I have learned the hard way. When I first started flipping furniture, I didn’t take this step seriously. Because of that, the primer wouldn’t perform right, the paint didn’t adhere well, and the furniture pieces would start chipping in ways that weren’t “shabby chic”. It was a mess!
Do you clean your pieces well before you give them a makeover?
Do You Want To Make Money Flipping Furniture?
After twenty years of doing this, I am still picking up pieces when I can find them because I love the creative outlet, but I am now coaching other furniture flippers on how to make more money in their business. If you are someone who is looking to start and/or grow a furniture flipping business, I would love to help you. There are ways to make money in your business beyond painting a piece of furniture. Once I learned that, my business flourished. Don’t waste your time trying to figure it out on your own.
To help other flippers, I created The Furniture Flipping Academy! The academy includes everything you need to start, grow, and/or scale a furniture flipping business. It includes courses, resources, templates, social media planner and guide, a private community, and so much more. It will ensure that you are doing the steps that will lead to success and not wasting your time on things that won’t.
You can find all the information about the Furniture Flipping Academy HERE.
Let’s get your business started and/or moving in the right direction. The Furniture Flipping Academy is for any flipper, from beginner to experienced. If your business is stagnant, there is a reason for that. Let me help you grow it into a flipping career that is profitable and fits the lifestyle you want to live.
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