Adios Knotty Pine

This is it! I've started the process and I can't stop now!  Prepping my kitchen cabinets to get painted is going to be a tedious job.  I would be a little further ahead but hubby decided to take a side trip to the hospital.  Am thankful he's alright now, back home and taking it easy after getting a pacemaker put in as well as some other health issues.

Here's a pretty good view of most of the knotty pine in my kitchen.  There's still a lot behind me as I snapped this picture but there is more going down into the mud room.  Ugh!  Click on the post I wrote on my Knotty Pine Kitchen.

So here are the items I need to start my prepping:

- Sandpaper sponge:  Helps to scrub off 50 years or more of build up dirt and grease

- TSP:  The solution the clerk at the store advised that I buy

- Plastic wrap:  This was my preference but I used it to cover the items left in the cabinets as I scrubbed the frame.  (Such as glasses, plates, spices, etc.,)

 You will also need:
- Drop cloth.  Keeps the solution from ruining your floor.  It also protects your floor from a falling Spice Cabinet full of spices that spill all over.  Yes, I tend to learn things the hard way.  My chili powder jar broke and thankfully my dropcloth saved it from making a mess on the carpet.  Yes, I have carpet on my kitchen floor but that's another story, post.
- Protective gloves:  This stuff burns, so it's best to use gloves.  I had a small drop on my skin and it stung!
- Safety goggles:  You want to protect your eyes too.  Can't imagine what it would feel like if some TSP fell into my eyes! scary!!
- Bucket of clean water:  Replenish with clean water often as you go.  You'll be dipping and rinsing the sandpaper sponge quite often throughout the whole process so clean water is important.

PREPPING -  DAYS ONE, TWO AND THREE:

I started by removing the spice cabinet doors and then started scrubbing the frame and above the microwave.  I also scrubbed some of the decorative border.  I knew ahead of time that prepping would take a long time as well as a lot of muscle work.  I'm taking my time, why not?  I have the time to take it slow.  My goal is to be done by the mid-August......we'll see.

I then moved to the cabinets above the sink.  This picture shows how I placed the plastic wrap over my cups and glasses.  Scrubbing the frames is a lot more work than scrubbing the cabinet doors because they're upright.

With the cabinet doors, I just lay them down and scrub away, so much easier on my arms.  This has been the hardest cabinet door to scrub clean.  Look at all that buildup underneath the hinge?!  Eeeeewww!!!  I forgot to post a picture of one the items you'll also need.  A damp rag, used to clean  off any residue left from the scrubbing.  Rinse it often under running water or another bucket of water.

and here are all the cabinet doors leaning up against each other after I scrubbed and dried them.  Seven doors down and a gazillion more to go!  Woohoo!!  Do I have any volunteers?? :)

Until next time,