How To Transform Kitchen and Bathroom Surfaces

How do you refresh tired kitchen and bathroom surfaces without renovating?

Kitchen and bathroom renovations are costly and time consuming, but a dated room is also the first thing a buyer notices. Four steps will transform the surfaces without pulling anything out: clean them properly, kill the mould, cut out the failed silicone, and repair the chips.

The order matters. Each step removes something that would otherwise undermine the next — grease stops paint adhering, mould grows back through new sealant, and a chip filled before the surface is clean is a chip that will lift.

What you need

• Selleys Sugar Soap
• Selleys Rapid Mould Killer
• Selleys Sealant Remover
• Selleys Knead It Multipurpose
• A scraper, a brush, gloves and clean cloths

Step 1 — Get your surfaces squeaky clean

Before you begin, it is important to get your surfaces ready for painting, and the key to that is cleaning them with Selleys Sugar Soap. It is designed for lifting dirt and grime. The surfaces should be squeaky clean — listen for the squeak as you wipe, which is what you hear when the grease film has actually gone rather than been moved around.

Selleys Original Sugar Soap is a professional strength, high performance formula that powers through tough grease and grime, and is recommended for cleaning surfaces prior to painting. It is safe on most washable surfaces without scratching.

Practical notes from its technical data sheet:

• Dilute as directed on the pack into a bucket of water; one 750 mL bottle makes up to 30 litres of solution.
• Use it neat with a non-scratch scouring sponge or cloth for stubborn or in-ground marks.
• On walls and ceilings there is no need to rinse. But floors, baths and shower recesses must be rinsed well after use.
• Wipe it off aluminium and brass surfaces immediately, and rinse it well from glass before it dries.
• It has a pH of approximately 11 and causes serious eye irritation. Avoid contact with skin and eyes, wash hands after use, and use rubber gloves if you have sensitive skin.
• Test an inconspicuous area for compatibility and colourfastness on anything unusual.

Step 2 — Get rid of mould

Mould spots are unsightly and unhygienic. Where you find patches, a liberal spray of Selleys Rapid Mould Killer should do the trick — it works quickly, starting to kill mould in 30 seconds.

Thirty seconds is a minimum contact time, not an instruction to wipe immediately. Spray, leave it, then wipe off. What you are removing is the dead colony and the residue it grew in; leaving that in place leaves a starter layer for the next one.

Patch test first. On some matt finish tiles, or in hard water areas, staining may occur. Rapid Mould Killer is not suitable for fabric, mirror tiles, metallic surfaces, or older baths or basins.

Step 3 — Remove the old silicone

If mould has penetrated beneath the silicone, the silicone has to come out — cleaning the surface of a bead does nothing about a colony rooted inside it.

Brush Selleys Sealant Remover onto the affected area and scrape the softened material off. Its published method is: cut or scrape the old sealant back to a thin layer less than 5 mm deep, spread at least a 5 mm thick layer of remover evenly over it with a scraper or brush, leave it for at least 10 minutes, then work a scraper backwards and forwards to lift the softened sealant. In some cases a second application is needed — how long it takes does depend on the thickness of the silicone, and cutting away as much as possible first is what lets the remover penetrate.

Clean residue and tools immediately with mineral turpentine.

Then spray the area with Rapid Mould Killer again, to make sure all the mould spores have been killed, and let it dry thoroughly before any new sealant goes near it. An established colony can penetrate a new seal even where the new product contains mould inhibitors.

Sealant Remover limitations: not suitable for rubber, EPDM or polycarbonate; may affect some surfaces, so test compatibility before use; do not leave it on porous materials or acrylic-painted surfaces for extended periods; and it will not remove staining caused by old penetrated silicone oils.

For the resealing stage, see how to replace old silicone or, for a basin, how to seal a sink.

Step 4 — Fix the chips

If there are small chips and cracks in the surface you are refreshing, Selleys Knead It Multipurpose is a versatile hand-kneadable epoxy putty ideal for repairing, rebuilding, reshaping or restoring almost anything. Once cured it can be drilled, sawed, sanded, filed, tapped, machined and painted.

Property	Typical result
Working time	3–5 minutes at 25 °C
Begins to harden and form a strong bond	Approx. 5–10 minutes
Before machining, drilling, sanding or painting	Minimum 60 minutes
Full cure	24 hours at 25 °C
Colour	Dries off-white
Continuous heat resistance	Up to 120 °C

Indicative data only, not intended for the preparation of specifications.

The number to plan around is 60 minutes, not 10. The putty is firm within 5 to 10 minutes, which is what lets you shape it and walk away. But its technical data sheet requires a minimum of 60 minutes after application before machining, drilling, sanding or painting, and full cure at 24 hours. Sanding a repair back at ten minutes will drag the putty rather than cut it, and painting it will trap uncured material under the film.

Where it works: timber, metal, masonry, ceramics, glass and plastics — but it does not adhere to polyethylene, polypropylene or Teflon (PTFE). It will not sag, run or drip, which is what makes it usable on a vertical chip in a bath or a benchtop edge, and it is suitable for permanent submersion underwater after full cure.

Its 3 to 5 minute working time means you mix only what you need for one repair. Cut off the amount required, knead it until the colour is uniform, and apply it straight away.

Then paint

Once the surfaces are clean, the mould is dead, the silicone is out and the chips are filled and cured, the surface is ready to paint. Follow the paint manufacturer's own preparation and priming instructions for the surface you are painting.

One timing point worth planning for: silicone sealants in the Selleys range are not paintable, and require painting to be completed 7 days before the sealant is applied. So the correct order for a full refresh is clean, treat, remove old silicone, repair, paint, wait seven days, then reseal.

Common questions about transforming kitchen and bathroom surfaces

What do I clean the surfaces with before painting?

Selleys Sugar Soap, until the surface squeaks. It is specifically recommended for cleaning surfaces prior to painting.

Do I need to rinse the sugar soap off?

Not on walls and ceilings. Floors, baths and shower recesses must be rinsed well after use, and it should be rinsed off glass before it dries.

How fast does Rapid Mould Killer work?

It starts killing mould in 30 seconds.

How long does Sealant Remover take?

At least 10 minutes on a bead already cut back to less than 5 mm. Thicker silicone takes longer and may need a second application.

How soon can I paint over a Knead It repair?

A minimum of 60 minutes after application. It is firm in 5 to 10 minutes, but that is not the painting point. Full cure is 24 hours.

Can Knead It be sanded flush?

Yes — once cured it can be drilled, sawed, sanded, filed, tapped, machined and painted. Wait the full 60 minutes first.

Will Knead It stick to a plastic bath?

It bonds to most plastics but not to polyethylene, polypropylene or PTFE. Test an inconspicuous spot if you are unsure what the bath is made of.

Can I repaint over the old silicone instead of removing it?

No. Selleys silicone sealants are not paintable, and mould under a bead will grow back through anything applied over it.

Why does the mould keep coming back?

Either residue from the previous colony was left in the joint, or the room stays damp. Treat, dry thoroughly, and improve ventilation.

What order should the whole job go in?

Clean, kill mould, remove old silicone, treat again and dry, repair chips, paint, then reseal — allowing 7 days between painting and applying new sealant.

Is Knead It waterproof once cured?

It is suitable for permanent submersion underwater after full cure, and resists continuous heat up to 120 °C.