Every once in a while, our homes need a fresh coat of paint. Unfortunately, the painting job can leave behind quite a mess and most of us avoid such projects just because it is hard to clean after. However, cleaning after painting can actually be pretty easy if you follow these simple tips.
Use Latex Paint
Oil based paints are much harder to clean from any surface. They are thick and leave stubborn stains. In order to make cleaning much easier, you should use latex paint for your next project. It is one of the most practical paint solutions as it can easily be cleaned up with just water.
Speed
The sooner you start cleaning after painting, the easier it will be. Don’t walk away from cleaning after you are done with painting. Rather, tend to any splashes of paint and stains early and more importantly clean the tools right after using them. Coat of paint may take some time to dry on the walls, but stains on the floors, furniture, and tools dry faster and get harder to clean with every minute you wait. In order to avoid ending up with wasted tools, messed up furniture and floors, react fast and remove the paint with appropriate cleaning solutions.
Clean the Tools
Many of us are tired of constantly buying new brushes and rollers for our painting projects. That can be solved by properly cleaning the tools. If you’ve used latex paints, you can easily wash the brushes and rollers in warm water mixed with some soap. However, some of the paints and stains are harder to get rid of.
To keep your painting tools durable and well-preserved, you should rely on quality methylated spirits or acetone just like real professionals do. These powerful solutions can remove any type of paint from brushes, whether it is on the bristle itself or the brush handle. After you have rinsed out the residual paint, dry out the extra water from your brushes and rollers.
Another technique for cleaning your tools is washing them under high water pressure. Take your tools outside and use a high-water-pressure hose or a faucet to properly clean any paint residue. High water pressure will wash away any chunks of paint from the bristle and you won’t have to spend too much time cleaning them.
Remove Protection
After the paint has dried, you should remove all the protective coverings. Remove any covers from the lighting fixtures, outlet covers, take off the cloth or nylon from the furniture and everything else you’ve covered. However, be careful not to damage the paint and not to make too much mess when uncovering your furniture. Do everything with precision and caution and you won’t have to reapply any paint or spend too much time on cleaning the floors.
Storing the Paint
You shouldn’t throw away any paint that has left. Rather, carefully store it for your next project. Make sure to clean the outside edge of the paint can, as well as its interior rim to prevent any dripping and further mess. Also, don’t let the paint freeze, just store the cans and buckets in a dry location and properly dispose of empty containers and unused products and rags.
Cleaning the stained areas on time will make everything much easier. Maintain the tools properly, store any remaining materials and your painting project is completely over. After you have cleaned the tools and stains, don’t forget to sweep the floors and mop them afterward with some warm water and mild soap to give them a clean and polished look. Lastly, all that is left to be done is to air the room to get rid of any strong smells and sit back to fully enjoy your newly painted interior.