Simply Brilliant: Smart Strip!

While looking for a light fixture to hang in the dining room, I remembered a fixture sitting in the garage that could possible work. The problem? I had previously painted the lovely brass with not only black spray paint, but PRIMER!! Obviously my intention had been to have the paint adhere extremely well, never in a million years thinking a day would come when I'd want the brass back!

After chipping away at the paint with a plastic implement proved to be successful, but excruciatingly time- consuming, I went online to see if there was advice for preferable methods.

One suggestion was to use a hair dryer. Yes, I just went back and looked at the article to confirm I read correctly. This in no way worked even remotely!

So I ordered up a can of Smart Strip, inspired by these claims:

Smart Strip™ by Peel Away® Paint Stripper is user friendly and does not contain methylene chloride, caustic or toxic chemicals. Smart Strip™ by Peel Away Paint Remover will NOT Burn Hands. Water based paint stripping formula. 100% biodegradable paint stripping product. Works wonders on painted brick, all kinds of wood products, metals, stone, plaster, concrete, fiberglass and much more! Great for Acrylic Paint, Latex Paint, Lead Based Paint, Oil Based Paint, Shellac, Stains, Urethane and Water Based Paints. AMAZING RESULTS.

After it arrived I laid out a heavy plastic tarp and slathered it on. (After a test, of course, to see if it would damage the brass. Thankfully it didn't.)

Then I waited, a couple hours...

...and then I noticed this! The paint was beginning to bubble up from the brass!

On the cap the paint literally did just peel away.

The smaller areas of the fixture are proving to be a bit more demanding, but wow. A product that actually has lived to to its claims! So...if you ever find yourself in my situation, regretting a paint job, you know what to do.

{And I wasn't even paid to say this!}