Paint Like a Pro With These 7 Tricks

For some people, painting can instill a sense of dread. Those without steady hands often find themselves staring at decidedly messy finishes, splatters on nearby surfaces, and less than perfect lines. While the obvious tips like using tape and covering floors can prevent total disasters, HouseLogic.com has highlighted some of the more low-key tricks that can make your paint job look positively professional.

#1 Soak Brushes in Fabric Softener

Who would have thought to use fabric softener on paint brushes? Everyone knows that, if you aren't careful, you will end up with completely stiff and unusable brush bristles on day 2 of the paint job. Luckily, a little fabric softener will keep your brushes smooth and, well, soft! Simply rinse the paint off your brushes, mix half a cup of fabric softener with a gallon of warm water, swish the bristles in the mixture for 10 seconds or so, and lay/hang them somewhere out of the way. In addition, there is no need to rinse off the softener before your next coat!

#2 Use Plastic Wrap on Awkward Items

If you are painting around a large object like a toilet or sink, simply wrap it in plastic wrap before you start! This will ensure that no paint gets on the surface and makes clean-up a breeze. You can even get plastic wrap with adhesive backing if you want to be sure of a paint-proof seal.

#3 Fight Odor with Vanilla and Lemon Extracts

One of the worst parts of painting is the overpowering smell. Adding a few drops of vanilla extract to dark paint (or lemon extract to lighter colors) will help to mask the odor as you apply!

#4 Old Clothes Make Great Rags

Rather than buying cloth or paper towels to use one time, simple grab an old T-shirt from your drawer to use as a rag! Cut it up and keep a fresh piece in your back pocket while you paint, as you'll never know when you'll need it.

#5 Q-tips Were Made for Little Mistakes

Along with the T-shirt for larger mistakes, you should also keep a handful of Q-tips in your back pocket for smaller touch-ups. Remove tiny drops or straighten edges without dirtying an entire brush/rag.

#6 Petroleum Jelly Can Keep Items Paint-Free

Apply some Vaseline to items such as screw heads and hinges to ensure that no paint will get trapped in the item's crevices. In fact, Q-tips work well for this application as well! You can even apply some Vaseline along door and window edges to stop them from sticking while the paint is still tacky.

#7 A Hair Dryer Makes Removing Painter's Tape Easy

Although painter's tape is generally wonderful, it can sometimes stubbornly refuse to come off cleanly. If you run into this issue, simple use a hair dryer on low heat to soften the tape's adhesive!

Source: 7 Painting Hacks to Get the Look of a Pro — Without the Pro Price