DIY Painting Clean Up Tips to Save You Time

Move furnishings for easy access to the walls and ceiling

Every painter has stepped in a paint pan or kicked over a pail while squeezing a ladder past the couch. If you can’t move furniture and other big stuff completely out of the room, stack it up. Set upholstered chairs upside down on the sofa. Cover the dining room tabletop with cardboard so you can set chairs on top of it. Then get out your ladder and roller and make sure you can easily reach all parts of the ceiling. Cover your furniture stack with plastic to protect it against drips and splatters.

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Drywall/Sheetrock Sanding Is Time Well Spent

Use a special sanding tool
Use a hand sander ($6), a package of 150-grit drywall sanding paper that’s precut to fit your sander, and a sanding sponge for corners and detail sanding. You’ll also need a double-strap dust mask rated for nuisance dust and goggles to keep the dust out of your eyes. A hat or scarf to keep the dust out of your hair is a good idea too. Sand with light pressure along the edge of seams and around screws to avoid “fuzzing” the drywall paper. Sand the center of seams just enough to remove ridges and bumps.

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Dust From a Remodeling Project can Damage Your Home

Seal off with plastic
Dust goes everywhere air flows, so the key to stopping dust is stopping airflow. A loose curtain of plastic hung with a few strips of tape won’t do the job. Instead, make your dust barrier as airtight as possible. Completely seal the top and sides with tape. Taping to walls is usually easier than taping to woodwork. If you can’t seal the bottom edge with tape, lay a board across it. Light plastic (1 mil or so) is fine for most jobs.

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