How to Clean Paint Rollers and other Painting Gear 

The care you take with your equipment tells a lot about the care you must take when you do your work. Great job.

You missed a perfect opportunity: instead of saying "that's how I do things", you should've said "this is how I ROLL!"

It's either fill the landfills with roller covers, or recycle the roller covers sending the water to the treatment plant that will properly filter the water and discard the contaminated watered properly. I'll wash mine. Thanks for the video Ben.

Back in the 80s when I was a kid my grandfather taught me to poke holes in that groove where the lid rests in. This way most of the paint runs back into the bucket. I still do that today as a general contractor.

I’ve had someone come in with a 23 year old paint can (an old Valspar signature) they had a feeling it was busted just because of the sheer age and separation but because of how well it was cleaned and sealed, it was in perfect condition.

I’ve commented before telling you that I use your videos to train my maintenance team. That was as a supervisor who doesn’t do much painting since it’s the new guys who get stuck with it. Well, I’ve moved on to a new company and will now be starting out as “the new guy” who gets stuck with the painting 😂 and being as I sold myself as a super hero of a maintenance guy, I’m binging on all the videos about painting cause I really haven’t done it in a long time. You are going to help me show them all up. I love your videos not only for the education, but I am seriously entertained by you. I appreciate the hell out of you and what you do for all of us fans who benefit in many ways of the time you put in for us. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are one of my favorite RU-vid creators and many of your viewers will agree.

Get two large buckets, one empty and one for "paintey water". The empty bucket is for spinning. Use fresh water as your rinse above the empty bucket. When it get an accumulation of waste water dump it in the slop bucket. No need to dump the "paintey water" down the drain, just leave it in the bucket and let nature do its thing. The water will evaporate and leave a sludge. Scoop the sludge out and bag it later. Since it is latex paint it really won't hurt the environment in solid form. Just don't kick the bucket...of slop.

This is an old video, you may not see this, but on a 1 gallon paint pail, when I clean the lip up with a brush, I'll find a grocery bag, put it over the can, put the lid on, and cut the bag to where you only see like an inch sticking out. It makes it 10 times easier to open back up later, and it helps keep a better seal. Hope this helps man!

LOL I had no idea that one of the things that tool did was clean paint rollers. I am learning so much from your videos. I soooo very much appreciate that you are clear, concise and fun as well to watch. No long blathering detailed crap that no one has time to listen to. Appreciate you and your willingness to share your knowledge with dummies like me.

Excellent instructions and tips. I have rolled my rollers and wrapped paint brushes with paper towel while they are still damp and it makes both easier to use the next time. Keep on making your very helpful videos.

A $2 silicone spatula cleans every drop of paint off the tray without messing up a brush.

In addition to cleaning out the rim of the pail, if you take a Sharpie and put a small chevron ">" on the lid of the pail and on the label before you open it the first time, the lid can go back in the same spot it was when it was removed. This helps with sealing, as any residue or gaps or irregularities will line up.

I find that Dawn dish soap helps free latex paint from heavily used brushes & rollers. And if you have to soak it all because of a time crunch, Dawn in the soaking water keeps stuff from setting in. Great tip on the inside of the roller.

I used the "jet" setting on a spray nozzle outside of course, think the roller spins at over 600 RPM, so drys itself fluffy.

Excellent, saving paint and cleaning those rollers to paint another day. I've been doing this for decades. The only thing I do differently is fill the bucket with water, spin with the roller submerged many times, then change the water in the bucket. I change the water twice, so after the third time spinning, the rollers are always clean. A little less hand work? Another tip: after the first spin, take the cover off the spinner and stick the other end on the spinner. This gets both ends clean really well. Thanks for all the first class videos, @VancouverCarpenter

I like to use a sharpie and write the paint info on an outlet/switch plate. This helps a lot if you need to buy more paint.

another great, helpful video, I like to use dishsoap to wash my roller covers as the soap displaces the paint...then I spin and they are super clean.

You look and sound exactly like my brother in law who happens to be a carpenter from BC. Trips me out every time I watch your vids lol.

I enjoy cleaning my brushes and rollers at the end of the day. It's like cleaning up my shop in the evening or after a big project, it is an ending.

I like your roller cleaner method! One 'trick' that I use, is that if I paint the same color the next day, then I just put the roller uncleaned in a zip lock bag. I wrapped equipment in plastic foils too.

I own a spinner, but never thought to use it before the roller was thoroughly cleaned, great tip! The cost of good quality roller covers and brushes over the years has taught me to care for them.

Now I know how to clean my brushes. thanks, Ben lol love the way you end up your videos always make me laugh.

For those that don't paint all the time, take a strip of tape about 3 feet long, and roll the roller on the sticky side a few times. This will dislodge a lot of the fuzzies that like to stay behind and cause you headaches in the fresh paint.

well, I measured the time it takes for me to clean up, including the drying time, and the return does not equate to the low cost of buying a new roller, and a disposable pan. So I rather just throw the roller and pan away at the end of each job. My time is more important.

The nice thing about washing an reusing a roller sleeve a few times is they become truly lint free. It's nice for top coats.

Very helpful tips for cleaning up after painting projects. Thank you!

If you don't mind getting paint all over yourself, you can go into the middle of your yard with a hose and direct a strong stream of water on a tangent to the paint roller. It will spin crazy fast and sling water and paint everywhere. On a hot summer day, I don't mind the paint/water bath. Your way is more efficient though.Mine is more fun to the 12 year-old boy living in the back of my mind.

When I'm done with a roller on a big job I dont ever want to see that roller or colour again lol

That roller gadget is really cool! Thank you for your tips! Love your videos!

I sometimes punch a few holes with a nail into the paint can lid channel so the paint will drip back into the bucket. It seems to work well and does not interfere with sealing the lid to the can. These days, paint is being sold in plastic cans rather than metal.

Another tip for a gallon can, tap a cple holes on the inside of the rim, the paint will drip right back in the can. Use an old screw driver, or the sharp end of the 5 in 1 with a tap from the hammer.

Years ago, a man told me a secret about how to minimize the paint that gets trapped around the perimeter of the paint can. He suggested to use a nail and pound holes around the top of the can so that any paint that gets trapped in the groove, the paint will simply drain back into the can. Another excellent video, Ben!

Love all parts of the video but the end is king!

Another good tip that was given to me by an artist is the use of Murphy's oil soap..it will remove dry paint from your brush

Loved the video! Exactly what I was looking for so I don’t waste materials and tools! Thanks! I thought I would need acetone to clean my tools but all I needed was water and timing! Thanks a ton!

This is so great, I had no clue these "spinny dealies" even existed. Subscribed...

This is exactly how Iv been cleaning all my paint products....here I thought people might think I was crazy! Lmao love seeing this!

Thank you for the advice! From a fellow Vancouverite!

I’ll clean a thick sheepskin cover but anything else gets floated or trashed. Always clean and shuck my brushes though. Any roller in oil base gets trashed and I like to keep some cheap Commodore oil brushes on hand for primers and rough stuff that I can just throw away.

Thank you! I clean mine by hand with water, was looking at those little spinney doo tools the other day

This is good information! I enjoy your videos. They are very helpful because painting and repairing walls is not easy when you dont do it right!!!

I LOVE IT!!! Great tips, great attitude!!

When I'm cleaning rollers at home, I have a tall plastic "juice pitcher" in the laundry sink under the running tap, and after I spin, I just dunk it into the pitcher to reload with rinse water and spin again. Lather - Rinse - Repeat.

LOL... "dude" ... I do EXACTLY the same.... some water, spin... some water, spin... Works very well. Nice vid.

I love the video and get a lot of good information from them. Would you be able to make a video about how to apply and remove masking tape to prevent peeling or damage the paint?

Thank you from Sunny England...I'm starting out in my own hallway ☀️👍☕🌻

I like to take a nail and punch a few holes around the top rim of the can. That way the paint drips right back into the can and the rim never gets filled with paint!

I'm a professional painter for almost 20 years now, (not in North America) and I have never seen those kind of roller washer-cleaner-things. I just squeeze the paint out as long it's not giving too much color when washing it, then put the handle back on and go somewhere to "roll" the wet roller dry, like against trees or some boards in yard, etc. where it's possible to do. Btw, I like your videos, it's always great to see how things are done in another continent. ;)

Great tips. Never heard of the paint roller spinner. Your ending made me laugh.

I have no use for these tips yet I store these videos in my mind without a reason

id like to add to this. Its a good idea to use your brush to clean out the paint can lid, the second you open a gallon or a 5. Just like your liner. This way if you step on the lid you wont track paint everywhere and make a mess. More importantly if the paint dries half way on the lid and gets used to close a gallon, it will do so by leaving a skin (like boiled milk) or chunks that will end up in the paint. That really sucks. Especially when using paint sprayers. Straining paint can be messy. A thin layer of paint dies pretty fast on a lid and so therefore if the lid gets knocked down its not sending paint splatter in random directions. -note on the liner if you let semi gloss dry in a tray after using the tray, the semi will eventually peel. usually after about 20 min of painting you will get goobers on the walls. I find that you can re use trays that have been coated with primer or flat paints for much longer without the chances of paint chunks in your tray reservoir.

You are great with all your video's! Thank you so much! Also, Drywall VIDEO'S, THANK YOU!

I just watched this video, thanks it was a great one. The sassy last few seconds were cherry on top of the cake hahahaha Really Good one!!

not properly cleaning sill of paint can often leads to rusty and crusty bits of paint falling into paint can, next time you open it. using any pointed objects to close lid leads to worse and worse sealing. i use a wood mallet and a rag or a metal hammer over a scrap 2x4 piece of wood. open lid with the cheap can opening tools. they look deceptively like a flat screwdriver but, they dont wreck the lid like a screwdriver does. i use something pointy with a rag or form tissue to wipe can sill, instead of putting thick and crusting paint into can.

Very informative ! Thanks !

brilliant tips...sometimes the solution is so simple you wonder why you didn't think of it before, scraping the paint off of the roller first...the amount of times i have squeezed a ton of it down the sink making a mess everywhere !!!

Roller/brush spinners are brilliant....just don't get over "enthusiastic" with it when holding it to near your stomach when pumping the living daylights out of it.....leaves a LOVELY wee pattern 😂

Ben, I'd like to give you a tip that works well for me. After washing the roller leave it wet. Then take a folded sheet of newspaper and roll up the roller in it then tuck the newspaper ends into the sides of the roller. You then can store the roller for a long time. When you go to use the roller it will be like new. I also do this with my paint brushes just folding it in newspaper, I tape it with masking tape to hold the newspaper on. Try it once you will like the results, especially if you store the roller or brush for a while.

Like your style. Pretty close to mine. Add in keeping the brushes in their sleeves. Purdy all the way. I just went back to cleaning rollers, kinda depends on things. Rehabbing properties I can have alot of colors going. Some things I do, I use a tray alot and I will put some cleats on a moving dolly and roll it around. I use the handy small pail with liners. I also like the Wooster, it's a bit wider and a 4" Weenie fits. If small stuff is going on I'll use 6" weenies, 4" s on hand. I also use those pour spouts that clip onto the can, peeve of mine is paint on the can. Keep a bunch of those onhand. I keep extra roller handles in different sizes. The weenies are getting sensitive with the makers. They sometimes don't cross over to sleeves. A box of brushes. Some days one brush just doesnt want to work so I just grab another. Ill pick it up later and it works good. Go figure. Brush combs, spinner, but spinner as of late gets a jig so it goes on the Makita. One HUGE thing I started a long time ago is 13 gallon trash bags are always on hand and boxes of ziplocks. Rollers , brushes all sizes fit in them. They stay good for a real long time. Sometimes a couple of days. Different colors, primers, I've had over 6 colors going. Trays fit in the 13 gal trash bags but the middle gets paint, been meaning to make some plywood covers with lips. That seal works good enough. Again, things happen and you stop for some reason, bags, bags, bags. Great on hot days. Don't forget to label the bags as well if lots of colors are happening. Hair dryers are another thing on hand. Thrift store $5 max. Another thing on hand are a pouch with artist brushes of different sizes. Times always come up where the 2.5 , 2, 1 inch brushes Wil not work. A trick i learned from a customer service drywall guy is putting a drop or 2 ( 2 drops are enough many times) of yellow food coloring. If doing lots of touch up spots on drywall the light yellow stands out so you don't forget and it covers the easiest will most paint colors. Dark colors are no good. Thanks for putting the vids together. Nice to hear / see how others work. 😎

Whoa! Doing a house project and I thought you bore an uncanny resemblance to Ben Degros of skateboarding fame. Then you spoke! Now I know I'm in the right place.

Very helpful video. Thank you!

I appreciate the jokes. Usually DIY videos don't have personality like this.

In the nice weather put your roller on a long extension pole and blast it with a garden hose in the yard. It will spin super fast can clean quickly. In the winter months I use a 5 gallon bucket and spinner, but I have a lid with a 3" hole cut in the middle to keep the spray contained

As a diy degenerate, I do one room, realize how much work all this remodel stuff is, get sick of it and throw everything away and just rebuy it in 6 months when my wife wears me down to do the next room

I leave the roller on the handle thingy and take it into the back garden, hit it with the hose. That causes the roller to spin and the centrifugal force flings the paint water onto the lawn. The paint breaks down there within days, and doesn't get into the sewer/sea. And my lawn gets a watering. Win/win.

Keeping that rim clean is so critical... I keep my open gallon of primer for small jobs ready to go using one of those paint n’ pour plastic lids with a flip open brush hole, and a pour spout with a cap on it, which keeps things ready to go, but has kept partial can of primer good for over a year in my truck. Appreciate ALL your work with this channel to help others learn the basics of one person’s way to do the trade. I have worked with masters of trades like you, and every one had different ways they liked to work to achieve great results efficiently, but the best ALL had your gift and desire to teach, share with, and learn from others. Thank you for a most excellent channel from an Oregon coast carpenter.

Dude, EXCELLENT video.

Great tutorial thanks

Thanks Ben - always good content

I throw away my roller as soon as I'm done. I charge $40 an hour, and a roller costs $1.50. Just doesn't work for me. I do use rubber lined gloves to strip off the lint before use though. Cool tip though: take a pointed tool, like a phillips, or a punch, and punch some holes in the bottom of the groove on the paint can, and the paint will simply drip right back into the can. I don't actually do it, because I'm fastidious, and don't get paint in the groove to start with, or I clean it out immediately.

What about a video, cleaning brushes with different paint types on them?

I learn things on this channel, and I chuckle, too. Also, your shoes are very ska. Nice.

Hi I have been watching your videos I like it. It improved my cutting the right way. Can you make a video on how to stop dropping paint when taking from the tray I keep on dropping paint from the roller when I take paint from the tray. It will be great help not only for me but also other people like me. Thanks

I have a cheap roller holder screwed to a fence post at home. I bring the rollers home sealed in glad wrap or plastic bag, slide it over the roller holder on the fence & blast it with a water jet sprayer. It washes & spins the paint off in no time leaving it clean & almost completely dry in one action. I have also started using double ended roller holders & found them much nicer to paint with because they don't bend with roller pressure. The only downside is they don't get quite as close into corners.

Not a painter, but I want one of those roller spinners now just for the hell of it.

A few paint additional tips: 1. I take my roller outside and hit with a jet nozzle on the hose. You can hang the roller over the edge of the bucket and position the spray nozzle so it just clears the edge of the bucket and is shooting down, slightly, into the bucket. You can spin the roller 1000 mph while injecting water. The roller is clean in 5 seconds. 2. I put my paint lids on with zero paint in the rim, but my paint cans usually end up rusting from the inside. I've taken to transferring the paint to various plastic containers I've collected. I choose the smallest one that will hold all the paint. 3. I hang my paint cans from my basement ceiling between the floor joists. Happy to make a video on #1 if anybody would like to see it.

Thanks for he tips!

Brilliant, very funny. Oh and useful, thanks

Quality rollers and quality brushes are the first step to quality work. When you spend the $$$ you wash those f’ers out

Great tips

I like to spray my rollers out with a hose jet spray nozzle. Angle the water right and the roller spins at high speed and is clean quickly. After that i have nylon bristle cone brush for my impact that i use to spin the roller and fluff out the nap. Now the cover is clean and dry ready to store or use for the next color

You are awesome there I said it!!! Now really thanks for great content!

"Horking" haven't heard that in a long time.

Thank you for the videos, VC. How do you feel about paint conditioners? Do they really make a difference? I bought a bottle to use with paint for a bedroom project using a spray gun (not airless). Just curious what your opinion is.

Putting the lid on clean is great for keeping me from leaking paint onto my wife's fresh carpet.

I find filling the sink with water and totally soaking the roller then roll it like a rolling pin its works a treat done after two sink fills and a little rinse

Also to your point about clean lids, I always try to leave left over paint for the homeowner in case they need to do touch ups. Doesnt look too professional to hand them a crusty old paint can.

I do quite a bit of painting with my work and it is not worth the time it takes to clean out a roller. I can make more than the $3 the roller cost with my 15 minutes spent elsewhere or just put it in a bag for up to a week no problem. Brushes however get cleaned and reused dozens of times.

Cool story bro, but I do the roller cleaning outside where I can dump the paint filled water on the ground. Paint residue down the drain in your house can end up with a restricted or clogged waste pipe.

Thank you. Does it matter what temp the water is when you clean everything? Im assuming warmer is better.

If using the same paint the next day , place roller and frame in a plastic bag in refrigerator. For cleaning I took the roller off of a frame and put threaded rod though both ends with nuts and washers. Chuck up in a cordless drill and spin in a bucket of soapy water. For best results let the paint soaked roller pre-soak in the water.

Rocking A " Purdy Nest Tray " Big Man.

you would be suprised how many people dont do these simple money saving tips!

I have never seen one of those spinny things before. I am going to get one tomorrow so next time I paint I can clean the rollers. Thank you... "F" inclusion it's too much these days.

Hey ie Der Ben, another Top is to take a NaiL and puncture around the Can on the inside of the groove where the lid seats in, with like six weep holes, that way paint that gets in there can seep back into the can. I also use a wet rage to wipe around once I’m done. Good As New! Just DonT Store iT In The HoT Attic.

................🎨..Great, honest review! Very helpful!.This is one of the greatest videos in human history....Thank you, great reviews...Thank you for the review.🎨So nice thanks🎨🎨🧹🧹...........

Do you have a brand of roller or type of roller that you think is better than others? If so what would that be? Thanks for your videos

Sometimes i put a platic bag or sth on bucket. Then when i open it again nothing mess fall into paint.

Love you Ben

Great stuff bud. Love your channel and excellent tips. Keep up the solid work!!!