TikTok has become the source of endless cleaning and decorating hacks, however, this latest DIY hack for cleaning a paint roller has blown our and a million viewers minds. We can't believe we haven't been doing this all along!
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If you've recently indulged in a spot of DIY and decorating you'll be familiar with the messy tussle of cleaning your paintbrushes and rollers afterwards. However, did you know you're supposed to scrape off the excess paint from the roller before cleaning it? Better yet, did you know you can reuse the paint you've scraped off?
A TikTok video by @pezzottipainting demonstrated how with the help of a handy paint scraping tool you could make your tin of paint go a lot further. In the video, he demonstrated how to use a paint roller scraper tool to scrape off the leftover paint so it can be returned back to the tin before cleaning it.
The paint scraper tool will set you back less than £10 on Amazon. It also has the added perk of being a multipurpose tool.
While the curved notch makes it perfect for scraping excess paint off a roller, it also doubles as a nail puller, paint scraper and bottle opener to name a few of its functions. However, the money it could save you in eeking out a tin of paint is worth the investment alone.
Once you've scraped the excess paint of the paint roller, the leftover paint can now be returned to the paint tin. If you're sceptical the paint experts at Dulux have confirmed that it is safe to put any leftover paint from the roller back into the tin.
Buy now: Multi-tool, £8.54, Amazon
'As soon as you’ve finished painting, pour any unused paint from your tray back into the tin, providing it’s not contaminated by pesky flies or dirt,' they explain. So as long as your paint is pest and fleck free you can save it for another project.
It might sound obvious to reuse the paint from the roller for another project or to decorate another room. However, it seems we weren't the only DIY fans casually tossing our paint rollers with all that valuable excess paint straight into the cleaning bucket.
'I've wasted so much paint!' commented one TikTok user. 'Why didn't you tell me this 10 hours ago...I've just finished painting and threw my rollers under the water!' wrote another.
If it is taking you a few days to paint one room, while it is a good idea to scrape off the paint roller each time your finish up for the night, you don't need to clean them everytime. Instead, Dulux recommends wrapping them in a plastic bag with masking tape around the handle to create a seal overnight.
Related: The best DIY painting tip revealed – to change the way we decorate our homes forever
Not only will this help your paint go further, but you'll also save water not constantly cleaning up. Sounds like a win-win to us.
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