Life Hack: Four tips and tricks to make painting your home easier

If you have a paint job looming, here are a few ways to ensure perfect results

Make painting easier with these hacks

Rubber band 

This is one of the best-known tips for painters. When dipping your brush into a can of paint, you will naturally need to wipe the excess paint off before applying it to the surface being painted. Often the easiest method is to wipe it against the top of the paint can, just inside the opening. However, this can lead to paint building up on the rim and if you are not finishing the can and hope to use the rest of the paint at a later stage, when you place the lid back this excess paint could seal it shut when it dries. Instead, carefully place a rubber band around your paint can vertically, so some of the band is stretched across the opening of the can. You can now wipe excess paint on the rubber band to drip back into the can rather than gather at the seal, ensuring a mess-free closure when you are finished.

Reusing brushes 

Again, this is a useful tip if your painting will take place over more than one day. When you finish painting, you usually need to rinse and wash your brush thoroughly to remove all traces of paint from the bristles. If you skip this step, you will wake up to a rock-hard brush the next day. Save yourself some effort by simply wrapping the brush in cling film or a plastic bag instead. This will seal it and prevent the paint from drying and hardening so you can use it immediately the next day. This is a short-term fix, so if you are waiting more than a day you may find the brush has hardened when you reach for it again. In this instance, you can soak it in fabric softener to restore it. Add a capful of fabric softener to warm water and soak the brush for a few minutes. Stir the brush too to loosen any paint residue from the bristles and pat it dry with a towel.

#Life Hacks

Life is hard enough without being aware of these simple life hacks. Read on.

Keep paint tray clean 

If you are using a paint tray to dip your brush or roller and wish to reuse it quickly with another paint colour, there is an easy way to do this without needing to scrub any paint away for fear of it mixing with the new colour. Line the tray with a plastic bag or cling film, ensuring every inch is covered. When you have finished painting, remove the liner and you will have a perfectly clean tray waiting for the next paint colour.

Paint on the carpet 

If you have finished painting and spot some dried paint on your carpet, don’t panic. Break up the dried paint with your fingers and use a blunt knife to scrape any excess paint after the first step. Use a sponge or cloth to apply a small amount of paint thinner, blotting rather than rubbing. Finally, spray some water on the area and blot with a white cloth until all the paint is gone.