Hardware Spa Day, Revisited

After the painted hardware enjoyed a relaxing 24-hour soak in the crockpot, I took a nylon brush and started scrubbing. I think the results speak for themselves.

Before the soak:

And after the soak:


Even though the "crockpot" method removed most of the paint, it took a little more elbow grease than I had hoped. It was pretty effective at removing newer latex paint, but older finishes were a bit more stubborn. Overall, I would recommend this as a good way to remove paint from metal without worrying about harsh chemicals. This Old House has step-by-step instructions for this procedure.