How to Paint a Porcelain Sink?

Of course, sinks, both kitchen and bathroom ones, are not the things that we tend to paint or repaint much often.

Way more frequently, we decide to refresh our walls or – a bit less often – some furniture.

However, if you do want to repaint your sink, you might be wondering how it can be done if it is made of porcelain.

As we all know, porcelain is quite a delicate material, so no wonder that many homeowners prefer to double check first before they even reach for the paint brush.

Is it possible to paint a sink that is made of porcelain?

How to do it correctly? What is the procedure exactly?

All right, sounds like way too many questions, right? This is why in this article, we will do our best to answer them all!

Today, you are going to learn how to paint a porcelain kitchen sink (or any other sink that you have at home), and how to get paint out of a porcelain sink.

That is a reasonable nuance since, if your sink has already been painted before, you might want to remove the old paint before applying the new one.

Also, we will explain how to apply a design on your sink in case you want to get totally creative, and whether or not it is possible to spray paint this item.

How to Paint a Porcelain Sink?

You may want to paint or repaint your porcelain sink for many reasons. maybe, you are just tired of it being all white and boring, or perhaps, its initial color does not fit the new color of your walls and so you want to repaint it to make it look more fitting.

Or perhaps, you are going to sell your house or apartment, and you want the sink to look better, but you would not like to replace it since it is still in a good state (well, except for the color, perhaps).

No matter why you decide to do it, painting a sink is always cheaper and faster than replacing it, of course, except for the cases when it’s broken and you must replace the sink.

And if this is already decided, and you have already bought the paint and the brushes, we guess it is time to explain how the painting process will go. But first, let us familiarize you with the general sequence of actions that will have to be taken:

1. Get your room ready for the upcoming painting process
2. Clean the sink
3. Apply the bonding agent
4. Protect the fixtures and accessories
5. Apply the paint
6. Cure the paint

Done! Looks pretty simple, huh? But we want you to keep in mind that, if you want to get the best results, you should choose a paint color that closely matches the original color of the sink.

In case you need to change an outdated color, you need to reapply thin coats of enamel until the surface of the sink is completely covered.

But anyway, always keep a small amount of paint on hand in case the overcoat chips, since you don’t need the original paint to show up from beneath.

Also, we suggest you make sure that you have prepared all the tools that you will need for the upcoming painting project.

Credits: fastfun23, via Crello.com

Those typically include the following items:

• Household cleaner for bathrooms
• Denatured alcohol
• Protective gloves
• Protective mask
• Clean rag and a cloth
• Sandpaper (1000-grit)
• Bonding agent
• Paint
• Spray gun
• Heat lamp
• Paper towels
• Car wax and auto compound

So if you are ready, we suggest you dive into the creative process and go step by step towards your freshly painted and lovely-looking sink!

Credits: Himchenko, via Crello.com

Get Your Room Ready

No matter whether you will be painting a sink in your bathroom or a kitchen, you need to protect the walls and all the objects around to avoid them being accidentally painted as well!

That’s especially crucial if you are painting in the bathroom since these rooms are usually rather small and every careless move of the paint brush can leave very artistic but vey unwelcomed splatters of paint on the walls.

So grab some plastic sheeting and cover the walls and the floor around the sink.

If you are painting in the kitchen, make sure you also cover the cabinets or shelves above the sink.

How I Refinished /Repaired My Porcelain Sink

Clean the Sink

Before you start painting, your sink must be cleaned.

If you apply the paint onto the dirty surface, it will not adhere properly resulting in the uneven and messy coating that will soon start peeling off.

We suggest you clean the surface and the bowl of your porcelain sink with the help of any household cleaner that you usually use at home.

Make sure those products are able to cope with soap scum, as well as rust and lime.

However, you should always keep in mind that any harsh abrasives are not allowed on porcelain!

Such products can leave rather noticeable scratches on the surface of your sink, especially if the porcelain is pretty old.

When you are done with cleaning, you can make use of denatured alcohol as a past-cleaning solution. It will help to get rid of the cleaning products leftovers.

Simply dampen a clean cloth with denatured alcohol and wipe the entire surface of your sink. This product will easily remove any residue that might be left after the use of cleaners.

Now just let your sink dry completely, and you can move to the next stage.

Credits: VIVOOO, via Crello.com

Applying the Bonding Agent

Now you need to cover the entire surface of your sink with a special bonding agent.

This product can be bought in any hardware store, but make sure that you buy the one that is designed for porcelain exactly!

Put on protective gloves and cover your sink with the product with the help of a rag to wipe the bonding agent on the sink’s surface.

It will help the paint to adhere way better and smoother. One coat of bonding agent is more than enough to prepare the sink for the upcoming painting application.

Credits: ToyaKis, via Crello.com

Make Sure Your Fixtures And Accessories Are Protected

You should mask off light fixtures, mirrors, any accessories, plumbing and hardware with painter’s tape and plastic sheeting.

Use a spray gun with a compressor to apply a coat of acrylic urethane enamel to the sink.

While doing this, remember to wear a mask with a ventilator to avoid inhaling the chemicals, and also, keep your bathroom windows and other windows open throughout the house to ventilate the space.

Credits: paulvinten, via Crello.com

Apply the Paint

Now you can apply the paint evenly across the entire surface of your porcelain sink. If you are using spray paint, let it dry for fifteen minutes, and then apply two more light coats of paint remembering to let it dry between the sessions.

Also, if the weather allows and if your sink can easily be removed, we would recommend you take it outdoors to complete the painting procedure.

Like this, the sink will not just dry faster and better, you will also avoid filling your entire home with the odor of paint which can be toxic for people and cause headaches if inhaled for long enough.

Credits: Posonsky, via Crello.com

Remember to Cure the Paint

Finally, the very last step in your painting project is curing!

To do it, you need to place a heat lamp next to your freshly painted sink for about one hour to let the paint cure. In case you have no heat lamp, no worries! Simply let the enamel dry completely itself.

And once your sink is totally dry, oit is recommended to wet sand it with the help of 1000-grit sandpaper.

Like this, you will easily level out any uneven patches and rough areas on the surface of the sink that might be left after the painting process.

Add the final stroke by wiping the entire sink with paper towels to remove dust after sanding.

Then, using a power buffer, foam pad and auto compound, remove any remaining scratches. Hand buff with car wax to create a shiny luster.

Well, this is basically all that you will have to do to get your porcelain sink painted!

Credits: Tevalux11, via Crello.com

How to Paint a Design On a Porcelain Sink?

Some of you may be quite happy with simply repainting your porcelain sink and having it in another color.

However, those who can’t live without getting really creative might strive for something more unusual and unique!

This is why some homeowners decide to paint ornaments or designs on their sinks to make such common objects look more elegant and custom. Especially if your entire bathroom or kitchen also look unusual in terms of interior design.

But here is the question: how do you do that?

How to paint a design on a porcelain sink? The surface is not flat, it has many curves, besides, porcelain is quite a delicate and tricky material!

Well, even though you might think it is very hard, in fact, it is not.

If you want to paint a design on your sink, you can either paint it yourself with a fine and thin paint brush, or, if you don’t have artistic skills, you can make use of special stencils.

Since sinks are often painted with the spray paint, using stencils will become even simpler since you will not have to fight with the brushes or rollers trying to apply the paint evenly!

And in case you do decide to use stencils, you will get an almost unlimited variety of designs and ornaments which will allow you to choose the one that will suit your desires and the overall look of the room in the best way.

As for the painting process itself, the preparatory part, as well as the finishing stage will be the same as when you simply apply new paint onto your sink. Make sure that its surface is clean, and remember to cure the paint afterwards.

Credits: volody100, via Crello.com

How to Get Dry Paint Off Of a Porcelain Sink?

If you are not just going to paint your old sink that is initially white and has never been painted, but you are going to refresh the previously painted sink instead, the very first thing that must be done in this case is to remove the layer of old paint.

So naturally, you will have to learn how to remove dried acrylic paint from a porcelain sink correctly in order to not damage the surface.

You will need to spend some effort, of course, but in general, the process is quite simple.

Credits: Yakov_Oskanov, via Crello.com

Test Your Paint

If you are removing an old paint that was not applied by you (for example, if the sink was painted by the previous homeowner), you need to test the paint first to know what solvents to use.

It must be done before you start the process since you need to know for sure whether this paint is oil-based or water-based.

The check is pretty simple: you just need to moisten a rag or a cotton swab in denatured alcohol or rubbing alcohol and rub the painted surface for a few seconds vigorously.

Now look at your rag/swab.

Do you see the traces of paint on it?

If you do, then the paint is water-based. If you don’t, then your paint is oil-based respectively.

Credits: pavel.balanenko, via Crello.com

Related: Can You Paint Trex? Detailed Guide

Remove the Paint

Depending on what type of paint you are dealing with, you will want to use different products.

If your paint is water-based, you can keep on rubbing it off with alcohol and then just wash the surface with an abrasive sponge and soapy water.

In case you are dealing with the oil-based paint, opt for either a lacquer thinner or acetone.

As an option, you can use a paint stripper: it’s even better since this product won’t damage the porcelain and it works on both water-based and oil-based paints!

All you need to do is to apply it with a brush over the sink, wait for ten or fifteen minutes until the paint starts blistering, and then remove it with a paint scraper.

Credits: Gap, via Crello.com

Related: Can You Use Interior Paint Outside?

Wash the Sink

After you remove all the old paint (no matter what method you use for that), remember to wash the sink with soap and water.

It will remove the residue left after the paint-removing product, and also, it will help you to get rid of any particles of dry paint.

Like this, you will easily get your sink ready for the painting process both if it is relatively new and unpainted, or if it is old enough and has old paint applied onto it.

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