cleanup, disposal, and final touchups

cleaning brushes when using water or oil-based paints

cleaning roller frames and roller pads

what to do with empty paint cans and old unwanted paint

labeling and storing cans of leftover paint from your project

removing the tape

removing paint from windows and glass

removing paint from hardware, floors, etc

caulking between the floor and the trim

creating a paint schedule for your project

cleaning brushes when using water (latex) based paint

The best way to clean a brush is in a larger utility sink. Take the brush and run warm water through it. With the water running over the brush, press the bristles into the bottom of the sink with an up and down motion. Turn the brush side up down and let the water run down through the bristles. Continue this until only clear water is running out of the brush. Take some dish or hand soap and apply some to the bristles. Using your hands, massage the soap into the bristles to create a foam, then rinse well with water. Once cleaned, take the handle of the brush and place it between the palms of your hands. Squeezing the handle firmly, rub your hands back and forth, spinning the brush briskly. The spinning should be done in a deep sink, or a garbage can with a liner to catch all the spraying water. You could use a roller spinner, but be careful; spinning the brush fast will cause the bristles to splay out too much. To resolve that, take the bristles and form the brush back into its original shape. Then, either lay the brush down, hang it up, or, preferably, put it back in its original cover.

cleaning brushes when using oil (alkyd) based paint

When you are cleaning a brush with oil base paint, pour some paint thinner (mineral spirits) into each of 3 buckets. Put the brush in the 1^st bucket, clean it and then spin it. Repeat in the other 2 buckets until the brush is completely clean. Finally, clean the brush with warm soapy water and store it as mentioned above. Now the thinner needs to be disposed of properly, so do not pour it down the drain! An option for the used thinner is to pour it back into its original container.

cleaning roller frames

Once you have removed the pad from the roller frame, simply run water through the roller frame, as you do not want the paint drying on the frame. Make sure there is no build up to where the roller cage meets the frame. The cage should spin freely.

cleaning roller pads

Roller pads are fairly inexpensive so I quickly rinse mine out, let them dry completely, and throw them away. Used pads need to be cleaned extremely well and considering the time it takes to do it right, I prefer to use a new pad. If you decide to clean them and don't have a roller spinner, run them under water, squeezing the paint out with your hands. Repeat until only clear water is running out of the pad. Make sure you get all of the paint out of the pad or the pad will dry hard and will be useless.

If you are using a roller spinner, rinse the pad as noted above, then spin the pad every so often. The spinning should be done in a deep sink or a garbage pail lined with a bag to catch the spraying water.

You could also use the curved side of a 5 in 1 blade to force the paint out of the pad, that is what it is meant for. Run water over the roller pad and use the putty knife's curved edge to squeeze out the water and paint; repeat until the roller pad is completely clean.

Finally, squeeze out the excess water, dry the pad well with a rag or towel, then allow the pad to air dry.

what to do with empty paint cans and old unwanted paint

Local jurisdictions will dictate how you should dispose of empty cans, and unwanted paint. Please be sure to research your local area for specific regulations.

With empty cans, let the can dry out completely. Check with your local disposal jurisdictions, but in Seattle, once the can is completely dried out it can be thrown away like regular rubbish.

If you have a little bit of latex paint left, but don’t want to use it, mix it with paint hardener or kitty litter and let it dry out completely. Paint hardener will actually harden the paint, but if you use kitty litter, it may take a long time to completely dry. One way to speed up this process is to take a large garbage bag, lay it out flat and spread the mixture of paint and kitty litter out on the bag. Doing this in a warm environment will help speed up the process even more.

Again, here in Seattle, once it’s dry, we can just throw it away. If you have quite of bit of unwanted paint, you could research to find companies that can recycle or use the paint. In Seattle oil-based paints need to be taken to a hazardous waste disposal site (this is a different location from the dump) where it's recycled or disposed of.

labeling and storing cans of leftover paint from your project

Once your project is complete, you'll most likely have leftover paint. Clean out the groove at the top of the can, put the lid on, cover the lid completely with a rag, then hammer on the lid. Make sure you hammer the can on a surface that is safe like a concrete slab. Pounding on a hardwood floor or the like without protecting the surface may damage the surface.

With a sharpie or felt pen, label the cans on the top and on the side of the cans. Note the date, and the room(s) the paint was used.

If you store the paint on a shelf, make sure the information you noted can be seen when looking at the shelf. If you store the paint on the floor, then you should be able to see what you wrote while standing over your cans. Store the paint somewhere where it cannot freeze, but not too close to a heat source like the hot water heater or furnace. Be extra careful not to store oil based products next to water heaters or furnaces.

removing the tape from your trim, ceiling, accent wall, and/or vinyl windows

Once the paint has completely dried, carefully remove the tape. Waiting for the paint to completely dry works the best. If the paint is starting to dry, but has not cured, and then you pull the tape, sometimes the paint will come off the wall or ceiling.

removing paint on windows

If you taped up your windows, there is a chance the paint may bleed through the tape and there will be paint on the glass. The best way to clean this off is with the new, very sharp razor blade. Older, used razor blade should never be used as they may scratch the glass.

Wait for the paint to completely dry, then score the edge of the trim (where the glass meets the trim) with a box cutter, then take the straight edge and scrape off the excess paint. The same can be said for old, existing paint on the glass. I would really recommend cleaning existing paint off the windows before you do any taping up and painting.

removing paint from hardware, floors, etc

With fresh paint, try using a warm, wet rag to remove it. With old paint, you could try removing it with Goof Off or a like product. Make sure you try Goof Off or the like in an inconspicuous area first to ensure it does not dull the surface.

If you have old paint on hardware where the hardware can be removed, you could try boiling the hardware in a mixture of water and baking soda for a few hours. Using an old pot, boil some water, then add some baking soda (if you can find Arm and Hammer's Super Washing Soda, that's even better). Simmer the hardware for a few hours, then remove the hardware with a pair of tongs. Using a mini brass or stiff nylon brush, remove the paint. Repeat this as necessary. This process will work for old oil and old lead paint, so keep in mind that you should avoid breathing the vapors.

If you decide to use a paint stripper, be really careful. Methyl Chloride is used in a lot of strippers and it's incredibly unhealthy to be around. These strippers are hard to rinse off and can burn your skin. You should wear heavy duty gloves and a respirator. If you decide on a stripper, I would highly recommend a Citrus based product or one without caustic ingredients. Now as the latter types are safer, it doesn't mean you shouldn't take precautions. I'd recommend wearing gloves and using a respirator, not a dust mask.

removing small pieces of tape from the floor/cleaning paint bleed from the floor

Sometimes when pulling the tape, small pieces of tape will be left behind and they can be difficult to remove. Try taking your box knife and first score the top of the tape right where the floor meets the base. Then carefully slide the blade underneath the tape to lift it a bit off the floor; using your finger, wedge the tape between the blade and your finger and simply pull the piece of tape up.

To remove paint residue from the hardwood floors below the baseboard, wrap a wet rag around a putty knife, then rub the knife along the paint bleed till the rag cleans up the paint. Be careful here; if the blade tears through the rag, you may scratch the floor.

caulking between the floor and the trim

Every so often, you may find it necessary to caulk between the floor and the baseboard. I've painted homes where there is a lot of existing paint on the floor right where the bottom edge of the base meets the trim and it's difficult to remove the paint easily. One way to solve this problem is to find a caulk that matches the floor color. I recommend using a caulk that matches the floor and not the trim. When you are standing above the trim looking at the floor, it looks cleaner. If you apply a caulk that matches the trim color, it looks like you have paint on the floor which is not a clean look to me.

To caulk, apply a piece of blue safe release to the floor, just past the old paint splatters/marks, and then a piece of tape onto the trim just above the floor. Caulk the area between the two pieces of tape, and using your wet finger, smooth it out the best you can. Remove the tape right away. You never want to apply caulk to tape and let the caulk dry before pulling the tape.

creating a paint schedule

Click here for "Paint Schedule" PDF (file opens in a new tab, download file to your computer before printing)

Create a paint schedule for your project; it’s easy and can be invaluable when you need work done in the future. Make sure you include the date of the project, the color name and number, the manufacturer, the line, the room or rooms that were painted and a small sample of the color. These could be laid out in a folder or binder so you have easy access to them. I also think it’s a good idea to take photos of the paint cans which include the label, your written information, and the front, including the product number near the bottom. Manufacturers change their bases every so often, so if you have a photo, you will know if the base has been updated or phased out.

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