Prepping the Vanity Before Paint a Bathroom Vanity

Empty out all of the cabinets and drawers. Take out all of vanity’s contents, such as personal products, towels, and styling tools. Set these aside where they will be out of the way while you work on the vanity. This will help prevent mess and damage from the paint.

Spread a dropcloth on the floor around the vanity. Use a plastic or canvas sheet to help protect against any paint drips or spills. Tape down the edges of the dropcloth with painter’s tape to keep it from moving around. To keep debris from getting trapped under the dropcloth and scratching the floor, vacuum the floor area before laying down the cloth.

Take apart all of the pieces of the vanity. Remove any drawers, doors, and false door fronts. Lay these on the dropcloth to paint separately. Remove all hardware, such as hinges and knobs, and store them in a plastic bag for safekeeping. You should also clearly label where each piece goes in the cabinet so they’re easy to replace once the paint job is complete.

Wash all cabinetry surfaces with dish soap and water. Wet a sponge or scrubbing pad and add a drop or 2 of dish soap to remove any built-up oil and grime. Make sure to wash all of the pieces, including the removed drawer fronts. Rinse at least twice with fresh water and a sponge. Let all surfaces dry completely.

Mask off areas you don’t want painted with painter’s tape. Place tape around the underside of the vanity top, any adjoining walls, the edge where the vanity meets the floor, and inside the cabinet frame. This will help keep these surfaces from accidentally being painted.