How to Clean a Paint Roller from Paint?

Once you have completed a painting project, it’s important to clean up paint rollers. Cleaning paint rollers properly after each use is not a hard task and it will prolong the life of the rollers. There are many different ways to clean a paint roller. For the best paint roller cleaning, you need to disassemble your roller and submerge the cover in cleaning solvent. Mentioned below is the guide how to clean out paint rollers from paint.

At first, you need to work the roller over a scrap board and this will help to remove as much of the paint as possible. After that, you can hold the roller over the sink with water running. It is also important to grip one end and slide your other hand down the sleeve quite tightly. By this way you will be able to remove a large amount of excess paint from the roller.

How to Clean Oil-Based Paints from Roller Cover?

In order to clean oil-based paints from the paint roller, it is important to closely follow manufacture’s instruction as they can rightly guide you through the way in choosing the proper cleaning solvent. Typically, mineral based spirits or paint thinner is ideal for removing paint and varnish. When dealing with oil-paint, you should pour the cleaning solvent into a container and dip the roller cover into the solvent. It is imperative to repeat this method by using a clean container as well as fresh solvent every time until the roller cover is properly clean.

How to Clean Water-Based Paints from the Paint Rollers?

Cleaning water based paints from the rollers is relatively easier. When you want to clean water based paints from the roller cover, wash the cover with soap and hot water and rinse until it becomes clean. It is also important to use a clean container filled with a mixture of water and soap. You can dip the roller into the mixture and after that rinse the roller with clean water. In case the paint is sticky, you can utilize a putty blade to help scrape off the paint. In some cases, the water based paint can be very stubborn and it becomes very difficult to remove them. In such cases, you can use mineral spirits or lacquer thinner to clean the paint rollers. However, once cleaned with spirits, you should clean the roller with warm soapy water and rinse it with clear water.