Imagine this; you just finished painting your living room with a nice peach shade and thinking of throwing the rollers into the dumpster. Wait, how about recycling the rollers and saving a pretty penny for the next painting job?
You might be astonished and ask can you reuse paint rollers?
To answer your question in a pretty straightforward way: yes, you can reuse your paint rollers and save a lot of money on buying new ones.
And if you are thinking about how to reuse paint rollers, that is exactly what we are going to discuss in this article with some additional info. So, let’s dive in.
Also Read: Best Electric Paint Rollers Reviews
Can You Reuse Paint Rollers?
Definitely, you can reuse your paint rollers. And this has no relation with “living stingy”. In fact, it’s a good thing. I mean think of it, you are not only saving money on everyday resources but also helping to keep the environment clean.
Paint rollers contain plastic, metal, foam, and other materials which become absolute junk after you throw them away. Reusing them will help keep the environment clean and ultimately help to save nature.
Can You Wash and Reuse Paint Rollers?
Yes, you can wash and reuse paint rollers. When we are talking about oil-based and latex paints, the paint cleaning process will be different. One thing is for sure is that it will be much easier to clean water-based paint from the roller.
If you can implement proper techniques, reusing rollers will be very effective and economical. Just imagine some soap and water saving all that money at the end of the month, just when you need it the most!
Can You Reuse Paint Rollers with Latex Paint?
Definitely, you can reuse paint rollers with latex paints. In the case of oil-based paints, you need to use paint thinners to remove them from the roller. But in the case of latex paints, the process is way easier. All you need is just some soapy water to remove latex paints from the roller and you will be one step closer to reusing the roller.
Can You Reuse Foam Paint Rollers?
Yes, you can reuse foam paint rollers. Using foam paint rollers is way easier because of their easy-to-use design. But keeping them clean is the real challenge because they are known to hold liquid easily. That’s why they will absorb more paints inside, so, it is recommended to wash the roller thoroughly to remove the paint from it.
Can You Reuse Paint Rollers Once the Paint Is Dry?
Yes, you can reuse paint rollers even if the paint has already dried on the roller. Remember, cleaning the paint from the roller will be comparatively tougher if it has dried. But don’t worry, there is still hope. You can simply clean the dried paint from the roller.
All you need to do is: gathering some knowledge on the paint type because this will give you ideas on how to clean the paint. Next, you need to disassemble the roller and let it soak for 30 minutes or a bit more in the soapy water; soaking will help remove the paint quickly. And finally, remove the excess paint from the roller and let it dry.
Can You Reuse Paint Rollers for Different Colors?
There is a difference of opinion regarding this. To be on the safe side, you should use separate rollers for different colors. It is because if you can’t remove the previous paint properly, it may appear over the new paint. And this might depend on the paint type as well.
That’s why the best suggestion will be to ask your local expert before using the same roller for different colors.
How to Reuse Paint Rollers?
Okay, we have gathered lots of info about reusing paint rollers. Now, it’s time to jump to another key part of our topic. So, here is the step by step process of how you can reuse your paint rollers:
Step 1: Remove the Excess Paint
First of all, make assumptions about how much paint you will need to finish your project. Then try your best to utilize the paint usage in such a way that the paint remaining on your roller covers the final touches of your project properly. This will be way economical and will definitely make it easier to clean the rollers.
But if you are unable to do it, no problem you can still clean the roller. Just remove the excess paint from the roller by rolling it on old newspapers, cardboards or similar surfaces that are easy to dispose of. This will make the cleaning process easier.
Step 2: Remove the Remaining Paint
As we are going to deal with oil-based and latex paints, the paint removal procedure will be different for both types. Here are the paint removal techniques for them:
- Latex Paints:
Cleaning latex paints from the roller is easier than oil-based paints. Just dip the roller in soapy water, make sure it’s submerged properly. Now, remove the excess paints from the roller by swirling and squeezing. Keep doing this for a while.
Take out the roller from the water and remove the water afterward. Now, take fresh soapy water again and repeat the process until the water seems almost clean after rinsing the roller.
- Oil-Based Paints:
If you used oil-based paints with your roller, simply rinsing with water won’t do the job. You need to use thinner for this. Don’t forget to buy odorless paint thinner unless you like to walk on the streets with thinner odor.
First, take a fresh paint tray and pour some thinner into it. Make sure you put your gloves on. Now, to remove the paints from your roller, roll it in the thinner. Keep rolling it for a while.
Once you feel it’s looking quite clean, dip it in soapy warm water and clean the remaining paints.
Step 3: Let the Roller Dry
After you are finished cleaning the roller, it’s time to let it dry. Hanging it on a washing line will be just perfect. You can make a custom hanger for the roller by cutting off one side of a regular cloth hanger. This will help keep the roller nap fluffy.
Step 4: Storing the Roller
After the roller is dried, it’s time to store the roller for further use. Put the roller inside a plastic grocery bag and seal it properly to keep it clean.
Final Words
Reusing the paint rollers can be a real cost saver and it will help to keep nature fresh as well. But trying to reuse the roller without having the basics may end up with a messy sink.
In this article, we talked about various facts about reusing your paint rollers. As you have the basics now. It’s time to implement these techniques and save a pretty penny on paint rollers.
