How to Clean a Paint Roller
Paint rollers make many painting jobs faster and easier. that is, until it's time to clean the roller. Most rollers are very absorbent, which makes cleaning and rinsing an often time consuming project. But with the system described below, you can vastly reduce your cleaning time and can even do a much more thorough job of removing paint and moisture. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Paint roller
- Clean rolling tray
- Paint thinner
- Several sheets of newspaper
- Trash bag
- Plastic bag
- Liquid dish soap
- Water
Instructions
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1
Carefully shake any excess paint off of the roller. Lay out a sheet of newspaper on a flat surface and roll the paint over the newspaper to remove as much paint as possible. Fold the wet newspaper in half and put it into a trash bag immediately.
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2
Pour a small amount of paint thinner into a clean roller tray. There can be no paint in or on the tray. Roll the roller back and forth in the tray several times.
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3
Roll the roller over a fresh sheet of newspaper. You should see much more paint come off this time. If necessary, roll over a second sheet of newspaper. As you use up each piece of paper, fold it in half with the wet sides facing in and stuff them into your trash bag.
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4
Continue alternating between rolling the roller in paint thinner and blotting it by rolling over newspaper. You should also continue disposing of the newspaper as soon as you're done using it. Keep this process up until no more paint is coming out of the roller.
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5
Fill a sink with warm water and stir in some liquid dish soap. Scrub the roller gently with your hands, using the soapy water to get it as clean as possible. Rinse the roller thoroughly when you're through.
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6
Allow the roller to air dry. When it is completely dry, store it in a plastic bag for later use.
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Tips & Warnings
If you have a friend to help you throw away the newspapers as you go, this process will go faster and easier.
Do not store a wet or damp roller in an airtight plastic bag, even if it is clean. It will eventually develop mold and mildew.
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Comments
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gmundl
Jan 05, 2010
To Josh; We don't have to do the roller cleaning the way you say "any more." Everyone can use the Ez Roller Cleaner, (I do.) Watch the video on Google Videos or Paint Roller Cleaners on Youtube Videos. "the're great and work so easy and use a small amount of water. With Ez Roller Cleaner you get to do-it-yourself and actually enjoy cleaning your rollers. Just think! No more squishing them in the sink. ugh!
