Professional Painting Tips for Home Projects

No matter how much painting experience you have, there are bound to be mistakes. A spill here, a missed corner there… But it doesn’t have to be a headache! We’re sharing a few tips, techniques and tools that will make wrapping up that painting project a breeze.
1. Razor Blades

Razor blades come in handy when you go “outside the lines” and get paint where it shouldn’t be – on glass, tile or windows. Simply scrape it up with the blade and you’ll get a perfectly clean surface with no drips, every time.
2. Clean up Rags

There’s a reason professional painters always have a rag hanging out of their pocket! Clean up rags come in handy for spills, drips, wiping up excess paint and of course, cleaning your hands.
3. Save Your Brushes

You never want to let paint dry on your brush, but at the same time, you don’t want to spend time cleaning it out every time you take a break. Instead, just wrap the brush in plastic wrap, a plastic zipper bag, or even a plastic grocery bag, sealed with a rubber band around the handle. It’ll keep the paint from drying and your brush will be ready to go when you get back.

Need to take a longer break? Stick your brush – plastic bag and all – right into the freezer, for as long as a week. When you’re ready to paint again, just take the brush out and let it thaw for an hour.
4. Cleaning Up Latex Paint

When you do finish the job, you’ll want to thoroughly clean your brushes and rollers. Just mix up a bucket of water and fabric softener, and let your tools soak in it for 10 to 15 minutes. Give them a swish or two, then rinse in clear running water. Press out excess water and let them air dry, and they’ll be ready to store until the next job.

5. What to Do With Extra Paint

Just a little bit of paint left? No need to leave it in that big can. Pour it off into a smaller glass container – peanut butter, mayonnaise and baby food jars are great for this. Just make sure to label the jar with the manufacturer’s color name and number, as well as when and where you used it.
6. Touching Up Later

Those little jars of extra paint will come in handy when you need to touch up dings or scrapes, or if you find a missed corner later. If you need to make a small touch up later, no need to pull out all the supplies; a cotton swab or small foam brush will make quick work of it. When you finish, just toss it out!