- 1). Unscrew all hinges, knobs and hardware from the cabinet doors. Take the doors outdoors or to a work area that is well ventilated, since the preparation and painting products produce strong fumes. Removing the doors also ensures that you will not drip paint onto other surfaces in your home.
- 2). Blow out dirt and dust from the groove with a can of compressed air. This will be much more effective than trying to wipe away the dirt and dust, since you would probably just push it deeper into the groove.
- 3). Dampen a small, stiff-bristle paintbrush in mineral spirits. Run the paintbrush through the groove, wiping the interior of the indentation with the cleaning solvent. This type of cleaner removes grease, wax and oil, all of which can ruin the way paint bonds with a surface. Allow the groove to dry before continuing.
- 4). Set a piece of 220-grit sandpaper on top of the groove. Press one or two fingers against the back of the paper to force it into the groove. You can also wrap a piece of sandpaper around the eraser end of a pencil and insert this into the groove.
- 5). Sand the groove with the paper until the interior surface feels flat and a little rough. Roughening the surface will increase the bond between the paint and the wood in the groove.
- 6). Blast out sanding dust from the groove with compressed air. You must remove all sanding dust or the dust will stick to the paint.
- 7). Coat the groove with an acrylic latex primer. Use a small stiff-bristle paintbrush to work the paint into the groove. After you have painted the whole groove, make a smooth, even pass along the whole area to flatten the coat. Wipe excess paint back into the paint can or on a drop cloth. Allow the primer to dry completely before continuing.
- 8). Lightly sand the groove as before, this time using 180-grit sandpaper to roughen the primer slightly. Blow out all of the sanding dust again.
- 9). Apply oil-based paint to the surface using the small stiff-bristle brush. Like before, make a final flattening pass to remove excess paint. When the paint dries, inspect the groove. If you need a second coat, sand with 180-grit sandpaper and blow away the dust beforehand. Allow the paint to dry completely before reattaching the hardware.
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