Paint on Metal

• 1). Put on safety goggles and dip a cotton swab in isopropyl alcohol. Carefully dab it onto the dried paint on any metal parts of your garbage disposal. For oil paint, you can use paint thinner in place of the alcohol. Avoid getting the thinner or alcohol onto the rubber portion of the garbage disposal, as these chemicals can destroy some types of rubber.
  
  
• 2). Cover the alcohol-swabbed paint with plastic wrap to keep it from evaporating and let it sit for 10 minutes.
  
  
• 3). Remove the plastic wrap and rinse the area thoroughly, scrubbing it with a plastic or nylon kitchen scrubber to remove any paint that doesn't rinse away.
  
  

Paint on Rubber

• 1). Slide a paint stir stick or other stiff, flat object under a flap of the rubber part of the garbage disposal and use the stick as a lever to hold the flap steady while you deal with the paint. You may need someone else to hold the stick.
  
  
• 2). Scrub the painted rubber with steel wool, using circular motions.
  
  
• 3). Place a brass-bristle brush head into a motorized rotary tool or a drill. Put on safety goggles, turn the tool on to a low setting and let the brush scrub away the paint. Increase the speed of the tool if needed.
  
  
• 4). Rinse away the paint after it has come loose. You may need to repeat the process a few times until all the paint is scrubbed away.