How to Restore Metal Kitchen Cabinets Clean the cabinet thoroughly with an ammonia-based cleaner and a rag. Brush the metal briskly back and forth with a steel-bristle brush. Sand the cabinets with medium-grit sandpaper to remove additional rust. Spray the cabinets with phosphoric acid. Click to see full answer. Thereof, how do you update old metal kitchen cabinets? Remove the cabinet hardware and the doors from the metal cabinets using either a screwdriver or a power drill. Wear rubber gloves and apply paint stripper using old rags. Metal kitchen cabinets can be upgraded. Apply rustproof primer to the metal cabinets. Apply rustproof enamel paint in the color you have chosen. Beside above, can you reface metal kitchen cabinets? Metal kitchen cabinets are difficult and expensive to replace outright. However, if you want to improve and change the overall appearance of your kitchen or other part of your home with metal cabinets, you can easily replace the facing material on the cabinet in order to achieve a new look. Additionally, what kind of paint do you use on metal cabinets? Coated Metal Cabinets You can then apply a bonding primer, also known as an adhesion primer. Once the primer has dried completely, you can apply an eggshell or glossy interior acrylic paint as your top coat.How do you paint old metal kitchen cabinets? Prepare the area around the cabinet. Lay tarps or plastic sheets over the flooring or other surfaces surrounding the cabinets. Rough the surface with 120-grit sandpaper or steel wool. Clean the cabinet. Use a sponge paint roller to apply metal paint primer in long, straight passes. Paint the cabinet.