Melamine is a man-made substance used to laminate cupboards made of particleboard. This paper-thin chemically infused material is difficult to paint if you use the wrong kind of primer. You will need to clean and mud a melamine vanity before priming or painting to get the paint to adhere. Since melamine is such a glossy surface, unlike wood, it requires a primer developed for plastics, laminates and similar surfaces — otherwise the paint can peel off.
Remove the door in the vanity working with a Phillips head screwdriver. Place the hardware aside in a safe location.
Cover the ground around the vanity with paper.
Clean out the melamine surfaces, such as the doors and the drawer, if any, with a household cleaner and a damp sponge. Allow them to dry completely.
Sand all of melamine surfaces with a fine-grit sanding block to scuff the end. Scuffing makes the melamine more receptive to primer and paint. Wipe the dust away with a wax or wax cloth.
Cover all of the places you do not wish to paint with painter’s tape. If the vanity includes a drawer, remove it or pull it out as far as it will go.
Pour some of this primer into a paint tray. Prime all of melamine surfaces with a paintbrush, allowing the primer to dry completely. If the melamine remains visible through the primer, then apply another coat and allow it to dry.
Pour some latex paint into a paint tray. Paint over all the primed regions with a paintbrush, allowing the paint to dry. Apply another coat, if necessary.