Painting Tips
Preparation
Fill nail holes and wall dents with salt and cornstarch
. Mix equal parts together and add a few drops of water to make a paste. The stiffer you make the paste, the fewer drips you will get.
Nail holes and wall dents can be filled with a mixture of white carpenter's glue and baking soda
. Mix them to make a paste.
Although white toothpaste will fill nail holes just fine, it has been reported to attract ants.
Remove old paint from metal cabinet hinges and handles easily by boiling them in an old pot of water for about 15 minutes. The paint will peel right off.
Remove switchplates before painting. You can use the back of one in each room to record the date you painted and the name of the paint color.
Painting
A cheap brush will cost you more in fix-ups, headaches and time than you save over a good brush.
Don't dip your brush too deeply into paint. Getting paint up into the metal area of the handle will shorten the life of the brush. This is also true of the paintbrushes you buy for art supplies.
Switchplates can be painted the same color as the walls so they blend in. But, they should be removed, painted, then put back on or they will be "glued" to the wall. An emergency removal after this could pull paint off the wall.
To make painting along baseboard areas much quicker and easier, sit on a skateboard so you can roll instead of slide or crawl from one spot to another.
You can take a break from painting for an hour or days but keep the paint brushes from getting hard by wrapping them in aluminum foil.
Painting concrete steps outdoors can make them very slippery when wet. Prevent this by adding a little sand to the can of paint, or sprinkle some sand over paint that has been sprayed on, before it dries.
Clean-Up
Remove latex paint from your hands with shaving cream
.
Vegetable oil can be used to remove paint from your hands.
After washing out your brushes, use liquid fabric softener
to keep them from hardening. Add a cup of liquid fabric softener (or hair conditioner) to a gallon of warm water, dip the brushes into the mixture, then hang them to dry. Rinse out the brushes when before you start painting.
To soften an old paint brush, soak it in hot vinegar overnight. Or, you can bring vinegar to a boil then simmer it with the paint brush in the pot. Check often for softness. Once the brush is soft, wash it in soapy water, then keep it soft by dipping it into the fabric softener and water mixture. Hang the brush to dry. Rinse out the brush when before you start painting.
After Painting
Paint a popsicle stick for each color you are using. This can be taken to stores to help in choosing the right color of pillows, wallpaper, rugs, etc.
After painting, put some paint into an empty baby food jar. You will have enough paint for small touch-ups without having to re-open the can.
For emergency touch-ups or tiny missed spots, wrap a brush full of paint in aluminum foil. This will stay usable for days.
Create a very tight seal in the paint can when you have finished painting to prevent it from getting hard before you use the paint again. Just apply a light coat of the paint in the groove at the top of the can before adding the lid. The can will then be painted shut but can be opened again easily later.
