3. Heat and soak

Place the hardware in the crockpot. Cover with water, add a couple of tablespoons of liquid laundry detergent, and turn the heat to medium. Put on the lid and let the contents of the pot cook all night. The next day, the paint will be soft and ready to fall off the metal.

TIP: Be very careful (use tongs) when removing hot hardware from the crockpot.