Details

[Tom7227]

The kitchen remodel is nearly complete. A new black stove, fridge and microwave made the list but I balked at replacing the 4 year old white dishwasher. I bought a new black front for the door. Problem (according to the Mrs.) is that the control panel on top is still white.

Does anyone have an idea on what type of paint could be used to turn it to black. It is a fairly hard plastic of some sort and so I expect some adhesion problems. There really is no good spot to run a test so I have to be reasonably sure to get it right the first time. There are a half dozen or so areas where you push to make settings and so I am also going to have to be pretty precise when it comes time to slop on the paint.

Thanks for your time.

Tom

[CAMAN]

I've had good luck with rust-oleums plastic paint. I sprayed it on the face plate of my old blackberry a couple years ago. And excepts for the areas where I dropped it it was flawless a year later when I got rid of it.

[nonteepical]

a dishwasher is one of the cheapest appliances you can buy.

[TooTallTom]

If you have a new black front for the dishwasher, could you test an area underneath what will be covered up? Or is that area surfaced differently than the control panel?

[Tom7227]

The new parts are metal and sit below the control panel which is plastic. There are no parts on the control panel that are hidden. I was hoping someone would suggest some sore of super adhesive primer that would make paint stick to the plastic. Of course there are all sorts of little ovals that are the places where you must for the controls and they can't be painted. Some serious masking will have to occur in those areas. Finally there are all sorts of wires leading to the control panel. I have not checked but I suspect loosening the panel from the unit could be an issue because of the wires.

[Mid-Lake Rock]

I would contact your nearest Sherwin Williams. They might have some specialty products. I used to work for a painting company in college and was amazed at some of the products that are made for specialized situations.

[Surface Tension]

The spray plastic paints might hold up for a while if your not using strong solvents or abrasives to clean the surface.

For sure follow the prep instructions on the can.

Since the washer is fairly new you might be able to order a new control cover in black from the manufacturer.

[CAMAN]

Have you thought about a black vinyl sticker with cutouts for the buttons? That may be the most durable solution. You may even be able to call the manufacturer and get one for it, or atleast they may be able to provide a CAD template for a sign company to use to cut it out.