Clean and Store Painting Tools and Equipment
Many painting tools and equipment are disposable-use once and throw away because we don't want to bother cleaning them. However, quality brushes and rollers, paint trays and guides, portable sprayers, mixers and other useful equipment are meant to be cleaned, stored and used repeatedly. Because paint, whether water-based or oil-based, will quickly dry up and become impossible to wash off, prompt and proper cleanup and storage is needed. Here's what to do.
Instructions
1. Remove as much leftover paint from the painting tools and equipment as you can. Squeeze the brushes and rollers, pour out the trays, scrape the pans and wipe off as much residue as possible using an old rag or pieces of newspaper.
2. Use the two-bucket system for cleaning off water-based paint. Half fill a 5-gallon bucket with warm water and a small capful of dishwashing detergent. Wash the painting tools and equipment thoroughly. Rinse them off in another bucket of clean water.
3. Use the two-bucket system for cleaning off oil-based paint. Pour about 3 inches of paint thinner or turpentine into two buckets. Wash the painting tools and equipment thoroughly in one bucket and rinse in the other bucket.
4. Wipe the tools and equipment to dry, or air dry before storing. Ensure that all the removable pieces of portable and pressure sprayers are clean and properly dried for storage.
5. Let the wash and rinse buckets stand overnight to allow the paint residue to settle. Cover to prevent contamination and accidents.
6. Pour out the water from the water buckets, leaving the paint residue in the buckets. Pour the turpentine from the wash and rinse buckets back into their original containers, leaving the paint residue in the buckets. Scrape off the residue from the bottoms of the buckets onto a piece of newspaper and dispose of in the trash.
7. Store all painting-related tools and equipment in the garage or tool shed for safety and accessibility.
