Cleaning before Painting Question

[Gary386]

My granddaughter is expecting twin girls sometime late November. She has two cribs (used) that we plan to clean and paint.

I will probably use some Zinsser Seal Coat first.

Can anyone give me some advice on a good way to clean these cribs before painting? I will sand lightly and clean with 409 and Comet.

Then I expect to wipe down with something like mineral spirits, alcohol, or acetone.

Any suggestion or comments are welcome.

[fredhargis]

The only thing that would concern me about the Comet is the grit in the cleaner, and getting all of it off. If you're confident you can do so, your plan will be fine. I think I would probably use TSP, and make sure it's rinsed well. Then the MS rubdown. The Seal coat will do as advertised, or you could also use BIN (shellac based).

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> I think I would probably use TSP, and make sure it's rinsed well.

Me too......

[jteneyck]

I would rethink that approach. 409 damages many finishes, as does acetone and alcohol. Comet? Why? I don't see what benefit it might have. I've never had any problems cleaning old finishes with anything more than mineral spirits and Murphy's Oil Soap, and they won't harm the finish. The MS (or Naptha) will take off all the oil soluble stuff and Murphy's Oil Soap will remove any water soluble dirt that's left. Wipe it down afterwards a couple of times with a wet sponge.

John

[Doug_H]

Gary,

I think that real TSP (trisodium phosphate) and a scotchbrite pad with a bit of rubbing will clean it adequately for painting. Rinse with water and dry with a rag.

If the crib was painted, and if it is old, please consider the possibility that lead paint was used. This once was a major cause of lead poisoning among children before it was banned.

Also, please have a look at this website about safe construction standards for baby cribs. A lot has been learned in the past few years. CPSC Safe Baby Cribs

[Cooler]

Doug_H said:

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Gary,

I think that real TSP (trisodium phosphate) and a scotchbrite pad with a bit of rubbing will clean it adequately for painting. Rinse with water and dry with a rag.

If the crib was painted, and if it is old, please consider the possibility that lead paint was used. This once was a major cause of lead poisoning among children before it was banned.

Also, please have a look at this website about safe construction standards for baby cribs. A lot has been learned in the past few years. CPSC Safe Baby Cribs

---

My thought exactly. But if the crib was built in the last 20 years it is probably to standards.

And while babies will chew on almost anything, as long as it is non-toxic when dry it is not likely that they will be able to consume enough paint to make them sick.

Shellac is entirely edible on the otherhand. It is the stuff of "candy glaze" and is on every M & M you have ever eaten.

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> And while babies will chew on almost anything,

But, if the baby fits into a crib, it probably has no teeth and would not be able to damage the finish.

[Cooler]

Howard Acheson said:

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>>>> And while babies will chew on almost anything,

But, if the baby fits into a crib, it probably has no teeth and would not be able to damage the finish.

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I agree. I think the bigger concern is the spacing between slats and the safety of the latching mechanism. Older cribs sometimes had too much space between the slats. That spacing is now legally regulated.

[JR1]

I agree with John and the CPSC link above is worth a read as is a test for led paint on the cribs. Consider that while all finishes you can buy today are non-toxic when cured that non-toxic is not food safe and babies are well known for chewing on things.

[Gary386]

Thanks to all that replied.

I went with TCP and then rinsed the pieces with a spray hose. Hand dried with a clean rag, then let them air dry.

I put on one coat of Zinsser Seal Coat. My granddaughter bought some Behr Marquee enamel. It is thinned with water. This is new to me, so I have some experimenting to do when I start to spray it.

Wish me luck.