Removing paint with a heat gun is perhaps the most effective method, but it’s a quite slow and lengthy process.

Besides this, another thing needed in spades for the product to work is patience. We’ve seen many users online complaining about the poor quality of this paint remover. In reality, the product isn’t bad, it just needs time to penetrate and soften the varnish or paint. To avoid side effects, use paint strippers in a ventilated environment – preferably outdoors. Don’t handle the product without gloves and wear a safety mask.A paint stripper makes light work of removing a range of paints because it breaks the bond between the paint and the surface. Therefore, rather than spending hours sanding the wood or metal surface, paint strippers can be applied in a matter of minutes and get to work straight away ready for removal (as shown in the image above). Comprehensive Research: Our team dedicates extensive time and effort to research and analyze products, so you can make informed decisions. Overall, this is the best paint stripper for old stubborn paint and it will eventually remove all of it. It’s easy to apply with a regular paintbrush and should save you time and effort. One of our favourite features of Nitromors is the colour indicator which is especially useful when working with a clear varnish as it shows you exactly where your paint stripper has been applied. Polycell’s Maximum Strength Paint Stripper is a paste consistency which means, like gel-based strippers, is non-drip. It’s also incredibly easy to use with Polycell giving it a 1/5 on the difficulty scale.

Whilst some of the best paint strippers in the UK include Paint Panther, Nitromors and Rustins Strypit, in our experience there’s no real one size fits all. We’d always recommend buying the paint stripper that’s most suited to the job at hand.

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If you’ve got a surface that has acquired many layers of paint over the years, you’re probably going to need something a bit stronger than what we’ve listed so far. For these sort of jobs, we’d highly recommend Polycell’s Maximum Strength Paint Stripper. We've included two electric paint stripper guns in our guide for those who want to make their life easier, and then a few paint stripper solutions. It will work on most types of paint around 20 minutes after application and can be washed off with water. If you have the option to, we’d recommend using this outdoors. If this isn’t possible, open windows and doors to ensure your home is properly ventilated. It’s strong stuff so if you’re going to be using it, make sure you take every safety precaution you can – you don’t want to breath in the fumes or end up with this stuff on your skin. Whilst removing paint with a paint stripper is an easy process that anyone can follow, it can be lengthy and will require a lot of patience.

The heat gun removes the paint effortlessly by softening and swelling it. Just hold the heat gun directly towards the surface at a distance of about 10cm. You’ll notice when the paint will start to detach itself from the wood and at this stage, just use the putty knife to scrape it off. Liberon’s Fine Wood Stripper is great for use on anything from interior doors to antique pieces of furniture. The efficient formula spares you from having to roughly scrape off old paint thus saving damage to your surfaces. Regular Updates: Our recommendations stay current with any changes in product performance or availability.Safety guidelines so it all goes smoothly: wear long sleeves and trousers, gloves, and eye protection to avoid burns, and use in a well-ventilated area, ideally with a respirator mask. By choosing a product that’s made for your chosen surface, you’ll ultimately have an easier time removing the paint. Best Paint Stripper Overall: Paint Panther The gel consistency makes this the perfect paint stripper for metal as it reduces the risks of any drips. When the paint starts to bubble and blister you can start scraping off the old coats of paint with a scraper

Regarding the green-coloured gel, we admit this idea is genius. The product has a non-drip formula and is easy to apply even on vertical surfaces. Compatible with paint, varnish and lacquer, this paint remover is ideal to use on window frames and door trims. Nitromors’ new formula works wonders and is worth the hefty price tag that comes with it if you want to do the job properly. Our top tip would be to lightly sand your surface beforehand to really maximise results.

Each paint stripper will work in a unique way depending on the formula and the surface it’s meant for so it’s always best to read the manual of your product before starting work.