Painting in and around your home can be a drawn-out process. You first have to buy your supplies. Then you have to properly prepare all of your surfaces that you don’t want painted so that you can make sure to keep any paint from getting on them. And, finally, you have to paint the surfaces you do want to paint while avoiding drips and paint runs. A monumental task to say the least.
When painting, some of the problems you can encounter are your brushes drying out, drop clothes that are a nightmare to deal with, and making a mess with your paint, among other common painting nightmares. This can make you dread painting your home when it comes time.
Luckily, you can use a variety of extremely helpful tips, tricks, and hacks to make the painting process so much easier. Whether preparing your surfaces for painting, protecting your painting supplies, or simply making painting easier, you can use these hacks to speed up the process.
1) Masking Tape Removal Hack
To easily remove masking tape, try pulling it off at an angle instead of straight up and down. Pulling it off in this way once the paint has dried should leave a straight line on the paint and does a better job of removing the masking tape all at once.
2) Masking Tape Sealing Hack
To get a tight seal when applying masking tape prior to painting, use a putty knife to press the tape down tightly once it is applied. This pressure should seal the edge of the tape and keep out any paint.
One persistent problem with paint is removing it from your skin once you are finished painting. To remove paint, use a pumice-based cleaner. Used mainly to remove grease, pumice-based hand cleaner also works great on paint as well.
To get your brushes completely clean after you finish painting, soak them in a container filled with white vinegar. Soak the brushes in the vinegar for about half an hour, followed by cleaning them using soap and water. Then rinse them and allow them to air dry.
When painting your home, getting paint on your furniture is a constant fear. Fortunately, you do have some options when removing any paint. An easy way to remove paint from your furniture is to heat the paint with a heat gun and then scrape it off using a scraper.
6) Acrylic Spray Paint Hack
One problem when painting a small project with spray paint is that you usually end up buying a large amount of paint and then end up with a whole bottle of spray paint you no longer need. One way to make just a little bit of spray paint is to use a
spray paint kit.
7) How to Easily Remove Paint Lines and Drips
One problem that can happen when painting are paint drips and lines. To remove these unsightly drips and paint lines, try to lightly sand them off first after the paint has dried. If that doesn’t work, use a razor blade to lightly scrape it off.
8) How to Prevent Paint From Cracking
Painted cement floors look great, but as the paint on your floors ages, it can begin to crack. One way to prevent this is to brush the floors with white vinegar. Once you have applied the vinegar, allow it to dry before painting. The vinegar should keep your paint crack-free for years.
9) Easy Masking Tape Removal Trick
While masking tape can help protect surfaces that you don’t want to paint, it can be difficult to remove. An easy way to remove the protective masking tape is to apply heat using a hair dryer or heat gun first. Once heated, the tape should pull right off.
10) How to Deal With Paint Spills
Paint on your carpeting can leave a sticky mess. Even worse, once it dries it is all but impossible to remove. The best time to remove a paint spill on your carpet is right away. Do not wipe the paint. Just scoop it up using a putty knife. Next, blot the area using a wet rag.
If you have a small area that you want to avoid painting, you can use Vaseline instead of masking tape. Simply apply the Vaseline to the area, paint, and allow it to dry. Once the paint is dry, wipe away the Vaseline, which should leave you with a paint-free surface.
12) How to Avoid Paint Roller Streaks
The easiest way to keep your paint looking great and line-free is to always roll on the paint in the same direction each time you apply it, especially when painting furniture. Also, avoid over-soaking your roller before you apply the paint, as this can cause drips and streaks.
13) Paint Can Rubber Band Hack
Another great idea is to place a rubber band around an open paint can. Then, when you dip a brush in the paint, wipe it against the rubber band to remove excess paint. This allows you to paint directly from the can, instead of a paint tray, while keeping the tops and sides of the can paint-free.
14) DIY Milk Jug Paint Holder
You can use a cut-up milk jug to create an easy way to hold paint while you apply it to small areas. Simply cut the front of the milk jug away, leaving just the top opening, the handle, and a little bit of the bottom. Place your paint in the bottom portion of the jug. Then, hold the jug by the handle as you paint around the trim and other areas. If you need to put down your brush, place it in the opening on top.
15) Paint Roller Storage Hack
If you want to save your paint rollers for later once you are done painting, use this great storage hack. After you finish cleaning your roller, place it into a large plastic bag. Then, place the plastic bag with the paint roller into a Pringles can. This should keep it clean and in good shape until the next time you paint.
To stretch your paint farther, make sure to scrape any excess paint off of your rollers when you are done painting for the day. To do this, use a putty knife to scrape the sides of the roller, peeling the excess paint back into the container. Clean the rollers as normal afterwards.
17) Paint Roller Prep Hack
A great hack to use with your paint rollers before use is to wet them with warm water. The warm water helps the rollers absorb the paint better, giving you a smoother finish. To complete this hack, brush warm water over the rollers using your hand.
18) Use Painter’s Tape for Perfect Lines
To create a straight line with your paint, use masking tape. Start by lining the edge you want to create with the tape, and then use an angled brush to apply the paint. After the paint has dried, remove the tape. You should have a perfectly straight line.
To get your walls ready for painting, try running a damp cloth over your walls attached to a Swiffer first. This removes any dust, cobwebs, or other debris from the wall, making the paint’s finish look better and making it easier for the paint to go on more smoothly.
20) How to Keep Paint From Drying Out
If you have paint left over after you finished painting, use this hack to keep it fresh for longer. Cover the top of the paint can using plastic wrap. This should create a tighter seal around the edge of the paint can once you put the lid back on.
21) Easy Paint Tray Cleanup Hack
Covering your paint trays with foil keeps them looking great, even after use. Place foil around the tray before pouring in the paint. When finished, remove the foil and throw it away. This should leave your pan looking like new and ready for the next time you use it.
Even if you use masking tape to protect your window glass when painting, you can still get paint smudges on them. Before painting your windows, apply Chapstick to the glass. Then, if you get any paint smudges on the glass, they should wipe right off.
23) Get Rid of Paint Fumes
To help reduce the smell of the paint fumes when you paint, pour a little vanilla extract into your paint. Mix 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract in with your can of paint, and mix well. This should help alleviate the paint smell.
24) Easy Paint Smudge Removal Hack
Another easy way to remove paint smudges from you walls is to use a Q-Tip wet with water. Either form the end into a point or buy Q-Tips already in this shape. If you get a little paint on your wall, use the Q-Tip to easily remove it before it dries.
25) Easy Corner Painting Hack
To easily paint corners in your home, use a paint edger pad attached to a paint stick, using a hot glue gun, instead of a paint roller. The small size of the paint pad is perfect for getting into tight spots and into the sharpest of corners.
26) How to Prevent Paint Splashes
Here is an easy way to prevent paint splatters when replacing the lid of a paint can. Punch small holes into the groove in the rim of the can using a hammer and nail. These holes allow the paint to drain back into the can. The lid will seal the holes airtight once you place it back on.
27) Fix Uneven Baseboards
If you have uneven baseboards, fear not. To make them easier to paint, simply fill in the uneven spots using some caulk prior to painting. Allow the caulk to dry, and then paint. No one will be able to tell the difference.
28) Brush-Preserving Trick
An easy way to preserve your paint brushes is to use a disposable nitrite glove. Grasp the bristles of the brush while the glove is on your hand. Then, pull the glove off of your hand and over the bristles. Use a twist tie to seal the glove around the handle of the brush.
29) Clean Fuzz Off of Paint Rollers
If you are like many shoppers, you are always looking for deals on painting supplies. And while you can find cheap paint rollers at dollar stores, they often have fuzz on them, which can mess up a paint job. To remove this fuzz from your paint roller, apply packing tape to the roller’s surface. The tape should remove all the fuzz from the roller.
30) How to Increase the Reach of Your Paint Roller
A great way to increase the reach of your paint roller is to use a push broom handle. The threads at the end of the handle fit perfectly into the end of a paint brush handle. Plus, the push broom handle is usually a lot cheaper than an adjustable extension pole.
31) Clean Brushes With Fabric Softener
For super-clean, great-smelling brushes, use fabric softener when cleaning them. Place your brushes into the fabric softener for a while, and then rinse off with warm water. The result, clean paint brushes that smell great.
32) Great Baseboard Painting Technique
A great way to apply paint to the baseboards and trim in your home is to load the brush with paint and then apply it heavily in small sections. Then, use the brush to spread it out over a larger area. While spreading the paint, make sure to blend into the previous section using long strokes.
33) Deep Clean Your Paint Brushes
If you don’t mind the smell, then vinegar is something else that works great when cleaning your brushes after you finish painting. The vinegar is perfect for breaking down the paint, easily removing it, and making your brushes look like new for the next time you need them.
34) Paint Brush Bristle Preservation Hack
Another way to preserve the bristles of your brushes while keeping them in the same shape they were in when you got them is to place them back into the cardboard wrappers they came in. Or, if you’ve thrown those away, wrap paper around your brush bristles and secure them using a rubber band.
35) Cardboard Drop Cloth Corner Hack
To make using drop clothes easier, tape cardboard squares in the corners of your drop cloth. Then, when it is time to clean up, the corners make it easier to fold the plastic. You can even use the corners to move the drop cloth from room to room.
36) Paint Tray Preparation Hack
If you hate paint liners and don’t want to clean, then just pour the excess paint back into the can after use and allow the paint in the pan to dry. This dried paint makes the pan heavier, allowing you to use them without them sliding all over the place.
37) How to Use Egg Cartons When Painting
An easy way to raise a small item up for painting is to use egg cartons. Simply place the corners of the item on top of a small section of egg carton and paint. When finished, throw the egg cartons away or save them for later use.
38) Best Painting to Prep Ratio
A good ratio of painting to prep time is 2/3 prep to 1/3 painting. The reason you want to spend more time prepping is that by taking care of any imperfections in the surface to be painted before starting can make it look a lot better after it is painted.
39) Easy Paint Brush Cleaning Tip
If you need to apply multiple coats of the same color, use this hack to avoid having to clean your brushes while you wait for the previous coat to dry. Simply throw the brushes with the same colored paint into a bucket of water. The water keeps the brushes from drying out. Then when you are ready to use them again, swish them around in the water, place them on a paintbrush-and-roller spinner, and spin them dry inside of in an empty bucket to keep water from getting everywhere.
40) Best Order of Painting
The best order to paint your rooms is to paint the ceiling first followed by the walls. When painting the ceiling, a fine mist is created, which gets on all of the surfaces below. Plus, any drips are easily taken care of before you begin painting the walls.
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Painting can be a tough job that involves a lot of prep work. Luckily, there are many hacks that can make painting a lot easier. Use these hacks the next time you paint your home to make the whole process simpler and to get it done a lot faster.
Painting in and around your home can be a drawn-out process. You first have to buy your supplies. Then you have to properly prepare all of your surfaces that you don’t want painted so that you can make sure to keep any paint from getting on them. And, finally, you have to paint the surfaces you do want to paint while avoiding drips and paint runs. A monumental task to say the least.
When painting, some of the problems you can encounter are your brushes drying out, drop clothes that are a nightmare to deal with, and making a mess with your paint, among other common painting nightmares. This can make you dread painting your home when it comes time.
Luckily, you can use a variety of extremely helpful tips, tricks, and hacks to make the painting process so much easier. Whether preparing your surfaces for painting, protecting your painting supplies, or simply making painting easier, you can use these hacks to speed up the process.