How to clean a paint roller

Save on the cost of paint roller refills by learning to throughly clean rollers. When you are getting to the end of a paint job, roll out as much paint as possible onto the wall.

The roller is like a sponge and can hold a lot of paint so if you still have excess paint on the roller, use a putty knife to scrape paint off the roller and into the paint can. Remove the roller from the roller frame. Working quickly, put the roller refill into a bucket of warm water and let soak for 10 minutes.

While the roller refill is soaking, clean paint off the roller frame while the paint is wet. When clean, go back to the refill and work dish soap through the nap with your hands then rinse with warm running water.

If the rinse water still has residual paint, repeat the soap and rinse steps. Keep repeating until the rinse water runs clean. Then, shake as much excess water from the roller as possible and stand it on it’s end to dry.

TIP: Clean your rollers and brushes only at the very end of a paint job. If you will be stopping for the day and plan to resume painting the next day, wrap your brush and roller tightly with plastic cling wrap making sure the plastic makes contact with the entire roller and brush surface. Then put in a plastic bag. They will be good to use the next day.

How to clean a paint brush

A paint brush can be ruined by not thoroughly cleaning, so knowing how to properly clean a brush will save you money, plus save on landfill. Since latex paint is more popular, these instructions are for cleaning brushes with soap and water, not solvents.

Start by removing as much paint from the brush as possible. An old newspaper should help with this. Rinse the brush with running lukewarm water. Add a few drops of liquid dish soap and massage soap deep into the bristles. Rinse under running water. If the rinse water still has residual paint running out of the brush, repeat the soap step and the rinse step.

Keep repeating these steps until the rinse water from the brush runs clean, it may take a few times. Shake as much excess water from the brush as possible. Most paint brushes have a hole in the handle, use this to hang your brush to dry. Hang drying will ensure the bristles do not dry bent or crushed. Store completely dried brush flat or hanging from the handle.