Most homeowners would argue there’s only one thing worse than staring at a boring wall all the time: having to Paint it themselves.

Paint jobs often seem like a big, daunting task when in reality they can be a fun way to upgrade your home. Not to mention, it’s a chance to be creative and switch up your weekend routine a bit.

All you have to do is be smart about how you paint. From picking colors to protecting furniture and having a quick clean-up, there are plenty of Painting Hacks out there to make the job easier.

Here are eight hacks to try out during your next interior design change.

1. Pick Colors with Caution

Before you buy a bunch of paint and get to work, take your time picking the color out. All the shades you see on samples at the store will always look a little different when you actually put them on your wall.

This is partially due to the range of natural light and artificial lighting in your home, as compared to that in a home improvement store. Another thing to consider about lighting is the time of day. Between where the sun is at a certain time and the strength of your electric lights, the tone of your wall color will vary slightly.

How are you supposed to figure all of this out? Take home samples of your favorite shades and test them out. Find an open space on the wall you want to paint and place the colors side by side.

Leave the options up for a few days to see which one looks best, and which one calls out to you the most.

2. Prep the Walls and Brushes

While you’re still deciding on the color, get the walls ready to be painted.

Start clearing out the room of any furniture, or rearranging it so it’s in the middle for the time being. Take pictures down and wipe the walls with a mop pad – this removes dust and dirt so the new layer sticks well.

Also, don’t forget to pick up brushes, tape, and paint bins when you buy the paint you want. Then, prepare the brushes when you get home.

Soak them in fabric softener. This one of the painting hacks most people don’t know about, but everyone needs. Fabric softener improves a brush’s lifespan before you even use it and it helps fight nasty paint odors, too.

3. Cut the Crusts

If you already have a set of paint brushes from another DIY project, you can use the fabric softener trick on them. However, they might still have crusts or hard parts along the edges.

This is a simple problem to fix. Take a pair of fabric scissors and cut the edges. This reveals a soft, pliable layer that is waiting just underneath the scraps of old paint.

Just be cautious to not cut too much, or to always rely on this trick. At some point, the layers of cloth on the brush run out!

4. Beat the Stench

Sometimes, painting hacks have nothing to do with the quality of the project’s final result but rather how much you enjoy the process. That is what this one is all about.

Instead of using masks or bandanas to plug your nose from the paint’s stench, why not take care of the smell once and for all? This is as simple as adding a few drops of vanilla extract or an essential oil scent of your choice.

These little drops are powerful, but non disturbing. They won’t alter the paint’s color, but they will make your paint job much more bearable.

5. Blend, Blend, Blend

Speaking of altering the paint’s color, pay attention to all the gallons of paint you are using. It’s a common mistake to assume every single can you buy of the same color will be exactly alike.

The truth is, it is very hard to get the identical tones and hues when mixing paint, especially when mass-producing paint. This creates the risk of having one wall with slightly different hues. It’s not a major difference, but it’s best to get the evenest results possible.

To do this, make sure you mix your cans together. You can do this in a paint bucket before you get started. Or, top off one opened paint can with one that is full as you get a third of the way through.

6. Work in W’s

Another way to make sure you do an even paint job is to use the right brush strokes. Use the W stroke method for the best results in the easiest form.

Start on one edge of the wall and work your way towards the other. As you do so, begin from the top edge and bring your brush down in a slight diagonal angle. Then, start your next stroke at the bottom of your previous one, working your way to the ceiling at an angle.

Repeat this over and over from right to left, then from left to right.

The alternative way to trust you do a paint job well is to invest in paint sprayers.

These are machines that do most of the work for you, and they are made to get it right. You can read more about paint sprayers on your own and see if this is something you prefer to use.

7. Press ‘n Seal, and Throw Away

Do you keep a roll of Glad Press ‘n Seal in the kitchen for leftovers? Make sure you have it handy before you start painting.

Put a layer of this down on your paint bin. You should tear a big enough piece to cover the bottom and line the edges, too. You may have to layer and combine a few pieces if you have a particularly large paint bin.

Still, this is one of the best painting hacks to keep in mind if you want an easy clean-up. You just have to remember to do it before you pour any paint.

Then, when you’re done with your project, wait for the paint to dry a bit and bring up the edges of the Press ‘n Seal. You should have a pouch of the remnants ready to throw away and a clean paint bin.

8. Clean Your Brushes

Just when you think the work is done, you still have brushes to clean. Luckily, there’s a simple painting hack for this as well.

Instead of spending hours scrubbing away at dried paint, soak your brushes in vinegar first. Leave them in a jar with the vinegar for a few hours, then start washing.

To get the best results, boil the vinegar, too. Bring it to a high heat in a pot or pan and dip your brush in. Cool the heat to a simmer and let the brush sit until it is not hot anymore.

This makes washing as easy as can be. You will still have to work your fingers through the brushes to get paint out from in between the bristles, but it won’t be as difficult as you may expect.

Painting Hacks and Other Home Improvement Ideas

Painting the walls in a room may be the only thing missing to make it everything you want the space to be. Or, a paint job could be just the beginning.

As you move around the furniture and transform the tones on the walls, you may find yourself getting more and more ideas of how to decorate the space. But, you might not have the finances to make all of them come to life.

Even out your spending by entering a home and garden giveaway. These are fun contents to enter and simple ways to make ends meet.

For current and upcoming home improvement opportunities, click here.

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