Painting Tips & Tricks

Get the Look of a Pro without the Cost

An easy way to bring life back to your home is to apply a fresh coat of paint! After time your walls may look dull, and the color may not be what you want anymore. Rather than hiring a professional, do it yourself, a DIY paint job can seem like a mess you don’t want to get in, but painting walls yourself will save you money!

Use these tips that professionals use to make the process go by faster, and avoid the mess. When you’re done you’ll be relieved and have a fresh, modern new look to your home.

Soak Brushes in Fabric Softener to Keep Brushes Soft

Old brushes with stiff bristles are a nightmare for DIY painters, keep these tips in mind when painting.

Keep Paint Brushes Soft:

1. Rinse brushes thoroughly with warm water (no soap)
2. Mix half a cup of fabric softener with a gallon of warm water
3. Swish brushes in the mixture for 10 seconds or so.
4. Lay them flat or hang them on a peg for overnight storage.

Be sure to lay the wet brushes on a flat surface, or hang them so they won’t develop a bend, and will still be useful during your next painting project. There’s no need to rinse before you use them again, the softener helps distribute the paint nice and smooth.

Use Plastic Wrap to Prevent Spills

When painting around a large couch or piece of furniture you can’t move, but need to keep clean, cover it with plastic wrap to avoid drips from destroying the finish. For extra coverage, cover the items again with a sheet, your local hardware store should carry special painter’s plastic wrap. Once you’ve finished painting, simply unwrap the items for a paint free finish.

Use Vanilla & Lemon Extracts to Reduce Paint Odor

Paint has a very intense odor, that can cause headaches and discomfort. If you need help covering the smell of paint, and opening a window isn’t enough, try a little bit of vanilla. For darker paints, add a few drops of vanilla extract (artificial is fine) per gallon. This should reduce the smell and keep your room smelling sweet for weeks to come. For lighter color paint, swap vanilla with lemon extract to ensure your color won’t be tinted.

Repurpose Old T-Shirts as Rags to Reduce Waste

Painting projects are messy, using rolls of paper towels is not environmentally friendly or efficient when cleaning up your mess. Rather than wasting pack by pack of paper towels, cut up some old t-shirts to use as rags, saving both money and the environment.

Keep Q-tips Handy for Mistakes

Q-tips are very handy when painting, if a drop of paint gets on your white window frame you only have a few minutes to clean the mess up before its sealed forever. Use q-tips to touch up any mistakes and imperfections on your newly painted walls without making a mess with a paint brush.

Put Petroleum Jelly on Small Spots You Don’t Want Painted

A little Vaseline can go a long way toward keeping your paint job clean and neat. Use a q-tip to go over all of the pieces you don’t want painted such as screws or hinges. Vaseline can also be used along the seals of your doors and windows to prevent them from sticking.

Use a Hair Dryer on Painter’s Tape for Easy Removal

Painter’s tape is supposed to make your paint job easier and stress free, but when the strips of paint just won’t come off at all you may start to regret using it. To remove stubborn painter’s tape, put a blow dryer on low heat toward your painter’s tape. Hold the blow dryer about 3 inches from the wall, to help soften the adhesive and keep that even line.

We hope you found these painting tips and tricks helpful when working on your next DIY paint job! For any home renovation waste or general bulk household waste you need to dispose of remember to call us at Waste Solutions 123!