Best method of cleaning paint rollers for re-use?

[Gmonkee]

I am a cheapo and have a lot of house left to paint.

I have been using interior-exterior grade paints on the finish coats and it's much more difficult than the cheaper interior grade used as base coat.

I have resorted to sinking them in a five gallon bucket of a soapy water a few days and it helps. Pull them out and clean normally but the lady isn't too happy about the bucket setting there bothering her sense of fashion.

How do you get them clean?

 

[mike93lx]

I throw them away when the project is done. Not worth the water, time and risk to my septic to try and get them clean.

I buy mostly Purdy Dove, which are not cheap but not expensive enough for it to be a concern.

If i am planning to use the same paint soon, i'll wrap it in plastic and keep it.

 

[Prospecter]

1. Scrape excess paint back into the can. The curvy part of wooden stir sticks works well and is easier on the nap than metal scrapers.
2. Soak as you have been doing, or, for latex, rinse under running water.
3. Using a spinner, spin out inside a large trash bin.

Bonus: The inside of the trash bin becomes an historical record of your painting projects!

 

[JR 42]

Well, I'm sure this is now illegal, immoral, and fattening (in the US at least), but when I was a cheap- *** summer painter I'd soak them for a day in a bucket, squeegee off what I could, soak them in another bucket with clean water, squeegee again, and then leave them in the tub while I took a long shower, squeegee, rinse, squeegee, etc. etc.

It's a pain in the ***, and I never could manage to get all the paint out. The covers would be fine for primer but too rough/ matted/ crusty for a good finish for interior work.

Any more, I just let them dry and throw them out.

ETA - If you're using the same color later, wrap the roller cover tightly in plastic and put it in the back of the fridge, it'll keep a while. Whether your lady will tolerate it, well...

 

[Hilltopmasonry]

I throw them away when the project is done. Not worth the water, time and risk to my septic to try and get them clean.

I buy mostly Purdy Dove, which are not cheap but not expensive enough for it to be a concern.

If i am planning to use the same paint soon, i'll wrap it in plastic and keep it.

I agree

I leave them on the roller and wrap them in saran wrap and they are usually good for at least a few weeks

I only wrap them in plastic if I can’t do all the painting the same day and I’m going to use the same color for something requiring multiple coats

After that they go in the trash

You can buy a 3 pack for less than $9.....my time aint worth saving a few bucks


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[ricleh]

This works great on rollers and brushes. Just spin it inside a 5 gallon bucket.

Brush and roller spinner

 

[Chris705]

I found the key is to scrape as much paint off the roller before trying to clean. The paint departments sell plastic half round scrapers that allow you to scrape most of the excess paint off of the roller, the. I pull the roller cover off the frame, then wash with soap and water, I spin on spinner and repeat a couple times.

 

[TLCObsession]

For scraping rollers, that is one of 5 features in a 5 in 1 painters tool - known by many as a paint scraper.

A spinner helps. If I am doing a project that goes a few days, I roll the roller out as best possible and wrap with saran wrap and stick it in the fridge. If it is a high quality roller, at the end of the project, I will scrape it, wash it, spin it and try and reuse. Otherwise I toss.

 

[usa#1]

Pull them off roller frame and put them in a zip lock bag. Label the bag so you'll know what paint they were used with. They will last for weeks this way. Toss when project is complete. Use a new bag every time you reuse a roller.

 

[engineer2]

Roller scraper, but I can never find the two I own, so I rinse and roll it in the kitchen sink. I have a tall and skinny pretzel rod container. It's the perfect size. Shake the roller up a few times with water, rinse and repeat, then an overnight soak.

 

[Catfishdan]

A song as it’s water based paint, I scrape the paint off with my 5 way, attatch the roller frame with cover to an extension pole and spray it with the hose nozzle. Use a sharp stream of water and spin that sucker with the water pressure. Takes about 2 minutes. You can do the same thing inside a bucket if you’re worried about the mess.

 

[theoldwizard1]

After painting the interior of my 3 bedroom house many years ago and my daughter's first house, my son.s first house and my daughter's I have cleaned a lot of paint roller ! Yes, it saves a lot of money especially if you buy good quality roller covers like Purdy White Dove.

1. Scrape excess paint back into the can. The curvy part of wooden stir sticks works well and is easier on the nap than metal scrapers.
2. Soak as you have been doing, or, for latex, rinse under running water.
3. Using a spinner, spin out inside a large trash bin.

Bonus: The inside of the trash bin becomes an historical record of your painting projects!

Some great advice, but I will continue to use a metal hook to scrape the paint out of a roller. If it is damaging the roller, you either have a cheap roller, not worth reusing, or you have used it too many time !

I would never "soak" a roller unless I am 100% certain the "core" is really water proof ! After scraping, I "rinse and rub" by hand. After repeating this several times, I add a small amount of soap (my favorite is Lestoil) and rub it in well, then more "rinse and rub" until the water come (mostly) clean.

A spinner is good, but I have often dried them most of the way by squeezing the nap inside of an old towel. This does leave a fair amount of moisture so drying over night is required. Fluff up the nap before using. It it more than just a little damp, break out another roller.

 

[Jlbc212]

I throw them out after one use and I often do the same with brushes and add it to the cost of the job. I'm retired and I hate to waste valuable time cleaning rollers and brushes when I could be doing more productive things, like reading GJ.

 

[royalton10]

After using the tool in post #8 to remove excess paint, take a water hose and aim at roller. You need to get it spinning for 30 seconds to a minute and the roller will be clean. It takes a bit of practice to get the roller to spin and for you not to get soaked.

It looks like Chris in post #7 uses this as well.

I painted one afternoon with a professional painter and he showed me this trick.

Hope this helps!

Doug

 

[kctyphoon]

I completely gave up on doing this when i renovated my house.. use them once, in the garbage they go. The time invested saving them just isn’t worth it.

 

[The Cobbler]

good scrape with 5in1 rinse , roll in tray & spin several times . soak for an hour or so, rinse again, rinse , spin & done

 

[Rickster]

Agree with trashing them after done. If still using next day or 2 I always wrap in plastic wrap both roller covers and brushes.

 

[ATC]

 

[Gmonkee]

Thanks guys. I think the water spray spin cycle is what I am missing.

I tend to reuse stuff as possible, I only get one gallon of paint a week if lucky and need to save them or the trash heap would have dozens as long as I have been at this.

All are plastic core so soaking is acceptable.
I stumbled upon a trick, one had dried a bit so it got soaked in thinner until the crust softened, then dumped in the soapy water.
The thinner mixed into the water and days later is still notable. It is cutting a messy one back to usable with no effort on my part. It just takes a while. But less time than just water.

Dumping the buckets afterward has raised a few eyebrows. A neighbor wasn't impressed with the white liquid running down the gutter to a drain. Dirty looks followed. If you have eco freak neighbors send it down a drain they cannot see. At home I usually water some plants with it.

 

[Banshee365]

Wrap the roller in a target/walmart/etc plastic bag and put it in the fridge. The paint stays wet almost indefinitely.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

I have an old piece of plywood that i use up the last of the paint on the roller. Hose roller, pan, brush off with water. Rinse until no colour remains in the flushing water.
I find the time spent is way less than the time spent driving to the paint store for more supplies. Mind you I’m not using cheap rollers, brushes or pans.
Using quality brushes, proper knap thickness for rollers all make for a quality job. The throw away liners for the roller trays might be handy.
If I’m using oil I might toss. But if the job is to be continued the next day I might bag and throw in the freezer.

 

[sberry]

I clean them with pressure washer. Have put them in gallon zip lock or wrapped them in the Walmart plastic bags too, that works well. I have covered them tray and all too with plastic, again even one of those grocery bags. I ain't above tossing them either.

 

[Super Mech]

Usually I throw them out but I have saved some if I’m using them for the same color paint. If it’s an overnight or a few days apart recoat I’ll scrape them with a paint tool and plastic bag them then into the refrigerator they go.
I’ve scraped and rinsed the **** out of them for reuse weeks or months later but only for the same color. The nap may get a little stiff but a few minutes soak in water and another scrape before painting and they are fine for another use.

 

[guy48065]

After using the tool in post #8 to remove excess paint, take a water hose and aim at roller. You need to get it spinning for 30 seconds to a minute and the roller will be clean. It takes a bit of practice to get the roller to spin and for you not to get soaked.

It looks like Chris in post #7 uses this as well.

I painted one afternoon with a professional painter and he showed me this trick.

Hope this helps!

Doug

+1, with a twist.
I do it in the utility sink with a sprayer I made from a short length of small tubing clamped to a hose adapter (fits the utility faucet). Very small stream very close really gets that sucker spinning at high RPM while still on the roller frame. Mess stays in the sink & doesn't get on me.
Glance the stream off the roller & spray end-to-end like you're rounding a blank down on the lathe.

Takes a hell of a lot of water to get the nap really soft & bushy.

 

[thool]

I used to spend 10 minutes cleaning rollers, along with I don't know how many gallons of water. After all is said and done, the texture of the material never gets back to the original, so they get relegated to emergency use only.

To be honest, I just throw out the rollers now. When I need to paint again, I just get another roller. I like the Purdy brand.

 

[tonyciambrone]

I used to throw rollers away

I now squeegee what's in the roller back into the can using a painter's 5 in 1 tool.

Then I squeeze by hand what I can out. Then I wash the roller with a little dawn and water in the utility sink. Then the roller gets rinsed until no longer soapy and put in a 5 gallon with water and the other rollers. I pull the roller out the day before I want to use it and let it dry.

I can use a Purdy Colossus roller for over a year...
Purdy white doves probably 6 months
I don't reuse cheap **** rollers still.
I have a Purdy colossus that I reuse only for concrete and OSB.

 

[95vette]

Hello, Use a capful of downy fabric softener in three gallons of water and let soak overnight, much easier to clean after soaking.

 

[dacan23]

Back when I was fruggle, to start with I would put on a HF nitrile glove and squish all the pain out first, then wash outside or when on public sewer in the kitchen sink. past 10 years though its not worth the time and effort so I toss them.

 

[Professional Tool User]

I just throw them out. It's just easier to get a smooth finish with a fresh roller. Not to mention the amount of effort needed to clean the old ones.

 

[jhn9840]

I used to buy the good rollers/brushes and scrape, use water pressure from the hose and then hand wash with Dawn soap and scalding hot water.

Then one day I went to help my BIL paint a couple of his bedrooms in his house. He had the cheapest rollers that he could find. At the end of the day everything went into a garbage bag and straight into the trash. I learned that his way was better than mine that day.

jhn9840
John

 

[zendriver]

used to Soak, scrub, pressure cleaning,soapmore scrubbing and rinsing and they always ended up with some residue in them no matter what. Not the end of the world, because they were still usable but really what was I buying?

I'm cheap too but I consider my time valuable as well so unless I am going to use them the next day which I'll just soak in water, I just pitch them in the trash.

If it's mineral-based, I'll just wrap it in plastic until the next day.
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[pcmeiners]

Water base paint....Big mistake throwing out used brushes, they get better with every use due to the bristles splitting; new brushes **** (leave brush marks) until used multiple times . I have brushes which have been used >100 times. Wash them with a strong hose stream until they are absolutely clean, only takes a couple minutes. Also if painting for long periods, wash them every 3-4 hours.

 

[Wyoming09]

.....

ETA - If you're using the same color later, wrap the roller cover tightly in plastic and put it in the back of the fridge, it'll keep a while. Whether your lady will tolerate it, well...

This works well with standard interior/exterior paints. However, I currently have a fridge in the garage that has been rendered mostly useless doing this. Last summer I was painting our swimming pool with Ramuc rubber based paint which contains, among other things, xylene and toluene. The fumes have permanently permeated the inside of the fridge rendering it unusable for anything not 100% sealed such as beer and soda cans. Covered food picks up the aroma and taste. I'm going to scrap this fridge and replace it as soon as the weather warms a bit.

 

[Gmonkee]

To the guys in the "toss them" camp.

Yes, it is work to clean them but water is cheaper than roller pads. Mine is a new construction first paint and whole house refresh as possible to bring my home back from years of neglect.

Every cent not spent on tossed equipment can be applied to paint costs and I am not using the cheapest paints.

I found a construction site recently in the clean out to occupation stages and took home enough roller pads to triple my pile, only a few are proving difficult.

With that I can leave them soaking weeks unattended and just use one cleaned earlier the next session. It's not real labor like this.

I also got my first two pro grade frames and several trays ( of various grades ) free for trash picking that and other sites.

All I really had to buy was paint and the extension pole.
A previous place had left a kit also with some nicely cleaned pads I just stopped using as the poor things are just dead. But they got me a great start on this place.

I am now set with enough stuff to finish this job and after that a good sort and toss of the worn ****. Leaving the best for the next round.

I have tossed out dollar store brushes too far gone and replaced them with middle to high grade trim brushes. A virtual miracle in difference, I am not going back to cheap there.

 

[The Cobbler]

Water base paint....Big mistake throwing out used brushes, they get better with every use......

I like used rollers too, they perform better too
and , if using oil base paint, a used roller is definitely the way to go. all the loose fibers are gone.

 

[anndel]

Type of paint? Oil based? Latex? I have expensive Purdy rollers which I paint a board until little paint, soak them over night or more with a couple drops of dish detergent (Dawn works great) then wash/rinse them and let them dry. For oil based paints like stains and Thompson's water seal stains I but cheap rollers and toss them in the trash after the project's done.

 

[mike93lx]

To the guys in the "toss them" camp.

Yes, it is work to clean them but water is cheaper than roller pads. Mine is a new construction first paint and whole house refresh as possible to bring my home back from years of neglect.

Every cent not spent on tossed equipment can be applied to paint costs and I am not using the cheapest paints.

I found a construction site recently in the clean out to occupation stages and took home enough roller pads to triple my pile, only a few are proving difficult.

With that I can leave them soaking weeks unattended and just use one cleaned earlier the next session. It's not real labor like this.

I also got my first two pro grade frames and several trays ( of various grades ) free for trash picking that and other sites.

All I really had to buy was paint and the extension pole.
A previous place had left a kit also with some nicely cleaned pads I just stopped using as the poor things are just dead. But they got me a great start on this place.

I am now set with enough stuff to finish this job and after that a good sort and toss of the worn ****. Leaving the best for the next round.

I have tossed out dollar store brushes too far gone and replaced them with middle to high grade trim brushes. A virtual miracle in difference, I am not going back to cheap there.

Sure, water is cheap, but my septic system and time are not. Not sure what the cost would need to be to justify cleaning them, probably $20 each.

We all have our own thresholds

 

[beamrider]

I paint for a living, and have for over 21 years. That being said.......

If i'm cleaning a roller, wether it be 9" or 18". I scrape it with the curved side of a 5-way to get the majority of the paint out. Then, a little bit of Dove dishwashing liquid on it, squish it in, and then rake my fingernails over it, to work it in. Then I soak it in my wash sink in warm water for at least 3-4 hours. Rinse until all the soap is gone, then spin/fluff the cover.

That's for latex, and I don't clean all my latex rollers. It depends on what type of latex, and the color, and my mood/frame of mind. If I know I'm going to have to spend a solid hour cleaning 4 9" covers out, I'll spend the $13 to get new ones. I've got arthritis, tendonitis, and have already been thru carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists. Time is money, but comfort has to factor into that as well. ( I use Purdy White Dove rollers)

For oil base, or solvent base, unless I'm re-using the covers in the next few hours, you're kidding, right? Chuck them in the dumpster, and get new ones. It will cost you more in thinner/xylene/other applicable solvents to clean the covers than it will to buy new covers.

Unless you are begging for change at a roadside intersection, water is NOT cheaper than covers. No offense.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Sure, water is cheap, but my septic system and time are not. Not sure what the cost would need to be to justify cleaning them, probably $20 each.

We all have our own thresholds

Why pour it down your septic, do it outside drain on gravel driveway, leave it in a old 5 gallon pail and let it evaporate if you want. My neighbour just lets it flow down a storm drain. There is a minimal amount of paint actually left in the roller if you squeeze/scrape it properly. If it costs $20 to clean a roller a trip to the hardware is probably worth a $100.

 

[bergheger3]

I purchased a product called rejuv-a-roller. It was about $20 and cleans the roller in minutes and looks almost brand new. Definitely worth the money.