These Hacks Help Make Painting Hassle-Free

BY Jeffrey July 29, 2020

Redecorating is a fun way to breathe new life into your home. Maybe you just purchased a dining room set or brought home a new sofa for the living room. Now all that’s left is to liven things up with a fresh coat of paint! Whether it’s your first time painting or you’re a home décor pro, here are a handful of tips to help make your next paint job easy and stress-free. 

1) Use Vinegar to Clean Brushes

Forget to put your brushes away? Here’s an easy fix: use vinegar. As a natural cleanser and disinfectant, vinegar is a cheap and effective way to clean your brushes. Simply heat a few cups and let your brushes sit in the liquid for about 30 minutes. Say goodbye to scrubbing and get right back to painting! 

2) Keep the Can Clean with a Rubber Band

There’s excess paint on your brush. What do you do? You wipe it on the rim of the paint can. Unfortunately, now there’s paint all over the can and floor. A smart way to avoid the mess is by stretching a rubber band across the top of the can. Wipe your brush over this and save yourself all the unneeded cleanup. 

3) Put Vaseline on Areas You Don’t Want Painted

Precision painting can be a nightmare. It’s time consuming, stressful, and a single misstep can have you starting over. Avoid all that by using Vaseline to cover spots you don’t want painted. You can paint right over these spots and when you’re done, wipe off the Vaseline for a nice, unpainted area ready for whatever you need.

4) Heat Tape to Remove It

We all know the frustration of accidently peeling paint off with our tape. Even when you’re extra careful, that trim will give you trouble. Skip the headache by lightly heating the tape with a hairdryer. This helps loosen the adhesive and allows you to safely remove the tape without risking a botched job. 

5) Square Off Drop Cloth Corners for Easy Placement and Storage

You know what’s a pain? Dealing with drop cloths. From placing to storing, these painting essentials are sometimes more hassle than they’re worth. Instead of arguing with your wall for floor space, tape squares of cardboard to each corner of the drop cloth. Placing down and folding up each cloth is now a cinch! 

Whichever techniques you use for painting, always take a breather.  Sometimes a good break is all you need to get the job done!