Are you taking on a painting project soon? Here are five tips that will make clean up easier.
- Latex paint
Cleaning up after using latex paint is much easier than cleaning up after using oil based paints because latex paint cleans up with only water. Choose your paint wisely in order to make clean up easier. - Speed
The sooner you clean your brush after you are done painting, the easier it will be to clean. Don't put this task off if you want to keep your brush in good shape. If you must wait for a while before you wash your brush, you can wrap it in plastic and put it in the refrigerator. That will buy you up to one day of extra time. - Water pressure
If possible, clean your brush and roller covers with a hose or faucet that has the highest water pressure possible. Higher water pressure will let you blast semi-dry bits of paint from the base of bristles in your brush. The water in our house comes out the fastest from the basement wash basin and the hose in the back yard. Check a few faucets to determine which one gives you the highest water pressure. - Technique
You don't have to throw away roller covers after one use. If you clean them properly, you can use them for several paint jobs. Follow these simple steps to get your roller cover completely clean. - Clear
Make sure the water runs absolutely clear when you are cleaning brushes and roller covers. A brush looks clean before it is actually clean. If you get all the paint out, you will be able to use the brush much longer because dried paint won't build up at the base of the bristles. Check the runoff by getting the paint bristles wet, holding the brush horizontally in front of your eyes and bending the bristles upward. The water that runs out of the base of the brush should be clear before you are done cleaning.
MORE PROJECT CLEAN-UP ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• After the Renovation: A Clean-Up Checklist
(Image: Sebastian Duda /Shutterstock)
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I always use a little soap after I think my brush has been rinsed clean. You'd be surprised at the extra paint that come out. Also, I'm sure I'll get blasted for being wasteful, but washing out paint rollers is SO not worth my time. I just wrap them in plastic until I'm done with the job, and then buy new ones for the next time.
Thank you for posting this! As a professional painter nothing irks me more than when people think that paint supplies are disposable or one time use. A good brush should last you a life time.
Years ago I saw someplace that a little fabric softening helps with washing the paint out of brushes and keeps the bristles soft. It's worked like a charm.
If I'm painting with the same color again the next day, I just wrap a plastic bag around the whole roller, squeeze it tight, and tie it at the roller handle. I've kept rollers on hold and ready to go for a whole week this way, and it seems like it wastes less paint (and time!) than cleaning each time I pause in the project.
Ivory soap and warm water.
I take excellent care of my brushes, but I agree with @rexrayfan.. washing rollers is not worth it to me. I use the 5 in 1 tool to gently scrape off excess paint as well. I emphasize gently b/c I learned my lesson once and ruined a brush by scraping too hard.
if you're going to continue painting with the same color but want to stop for the night, put the rollers in plastic bags and pop them in the freezer. They thaw pretty fast the next day when u roll them in some fresh paint. If you let the rollers dry even a bit they will not give a good even coat of paint.
If you do use oil based paint, the best way to clean them is with lots of canola oil (or vegetable cooking oil) and dish soap. Work the oil and a bit of detergent into the brush, rinse with hot water, and repeat several times. It works and it's eco friendly. No need to use mineral spirits.
Wrapping brushes in aluminum foil works well too if you don't want to clean them if you're using them the next day.