Over the years, I've either owned, or lived in, older houses that featured a hideous, multi-layer mess of old caked-on paint covering the hardware.  It takes a staggering comfort level with one's own laziness to intentionally glop paint over door strikes, hinges, knobs, drawer pulls, electrical outlets and switches.

After all, why spend precious moments removing or masking off hardware, when it's so easy to slather it like a carrot in a bowl of ranch dip? Obviously, because fashion dictates today's home should look like a 4-year-old was hired to to frost it like a cup cake.

In our home, it's clear that my DIY'ing predecessors were completely unencumbered by the pesky constraints of pride in their work. inch-by-inch, I'm rolling back their damage.

I haven't found a satisfying way to clean up painted over plugs and switches; I end up replacing those.

BUT,.. I have found an absolutely awesome method to clean metal hardware. I can completely clean a door hinge plate down to clean, shiny metal in about three minutes, without any soaking it in harsh stripping chemicals and scrubbing it endlessly.

Once again, my friends,... I bring you fire! Torch fire.

This post is in sponsored by my friends at Bernzomatic. All opinions are 100% my own.

I'll show it step by step. There's a bonus video at the end of the post to show how quick and easy it is in real time.

Step 1: Find Your Fire

I used some old floor tile to protect my work surface, opened the garage door and turned on my big floor fan to exhaust any fumes

I used the Bernzomatic BZ8250HT-Trigger-Start Hose Torch with propane to fuel it. I'd used this one before when I'd loosened rusty nuts holding the old diving board down. I really liked how easy it was to handle on a project where I'd be picking it up and setting it down often. With the fuel cylinder sitting remotely, or clipped you my belt, it handles like a BBQ grill lighter, light and nimble. 

I pulled the trigger and hit the hinge with a healthy burst of flame, slowly moving it around the whole piece. 

The thick, white paint quickly toasted golden brown, like a marshmallow over a campfire. Within about 10 seconds it bubbled up, starting to separate from the metal. A few seconds more and there were quick licks of flame from the paint. I let off the trigger and set the torch head aside. 

Step 2: Scrape

"Scrape" is probably too violent a word. It was more of a quick slide with my little multi-tool widget. A chisel, a razor blade, or even a wide blade screwdriver would have done just as well. the paint simply sloughed off the flat area without any measurable effort, like peeling cheese off a fresh slice of pizza.

Here and there a tough little area needed a quick follow-up scrape, but didn't offer enough resistance to consider it actual work. If a little piece of paint was still being stubborn, I'd give it squirt of flame and it would slide right off with the next touch of my scraper.

Step 3: Easy Cleanup

The final step takes a light touch of elbow grease, but nothing serious enough to break a sweat. I'd take the hot metal over to the laundry tub where I had a wet sponge waiting in the bottom. I plopped the hinge on the sponge to sizzle for the second it took for me to treat it to a quenching stream of cool water from the faucet. After quick puff of steam and a rinse, I could pick it up bare-handed.

I found that a quick application of some odorless mineral spirits from a paper towel was enough to slightly soften the brown gummy residue left behind from the paint toasting party.

I used a fine grit sanding sponge-to clean the piece to a nice, bright sheen. I'm not sure what grit the old sponge had, but it was seriously small. So fine that I have to feel each side of the sponge with my fingertips to choose which side to scrub with. I was working on basic, builder-grade hardware, if it was some sort of fancy antique stuff that I was more concerned about scratching, I'd use a soft, brass bristle brush or similar.

That's it. Fresh and clean in about three minutes, start to finish.

As promised, here's the live-action, real-time video of me paint stripping a hinge. I only turned the camera off when I took the piece to the sink for a few moments to cool it off. 

This is a sponsored post. I am a proud to be a Bernzomatic Torch Bearer, though all opinions expressed are 100% my own. I won't recommend products I don't believe in.

The Torch Bearers are a group of tradespeople, DIYers, culinarians, adventurers and artists brought together to create projects using Bernzomatic torches and share their knowledge and ideas with you. Check them out here and get inspired to create with fire.

Visit the other awesome Torchbearers and see what they are up to on the Bernzomatic Torch Bearer Site.