How to Clean Paint Rollers

Co-authored by Ryan Owsiany

You’ve just finished painting your house. The job, however, isn’t finished. Cleaning your implements will allow you to use them again. Rollers are cleaned differently than brushes. Depending on the paint you’ve used, you’ll have to choose an appropriate method to get the paint off. Cleaning techniques will differ depending on whether you use a latex-based or oil-based paint. As long as you use the proper method, you should be able to completely clean your rollers.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Removing Latex-Based Paint

1
Roll off any excess paint.You might still have paint that is dripping off of the roller. Perhaps you have a section that wasn’t completely painted. To get rid of this paint, you should run the roller over this section. You can also paint over an inconspicuous area.
2
Scrape off stubborn excess paint. Your roller might have excess dried paint on its edges. Hold the roller over the paint bucket you used. Use the curved side of your 5-in-1 tool or putty knife to scrape the excess paint off the roller.^{[1]
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3
Fill a bucket with soapy water. Fill two containers with warm water. You’ll use one container for washing the roller and the other for rinsing. Add about one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid to the washing container.
4
Clean the roller. First, you should rinse the roller cover with warm water. Now you should place the roller cover in a container filled with cleaning solution. Rub the roller cover with both hands till you remove as much paint as you can. After you do this, dip the roller cover in and out of the water. Once you feel the cover is sufficiently clean, you should put it aside. Clear the dirty water out of the container. Fill the container with more cleaning solution. You should now put the roller cage into the container. Scrub at the cage with a brush until all paint has been removed.
5
Rinse and dry the roller. Place the washed roller cover into the rinsing container and rinse it until it is clean. Make sure to rinse until you have taken off any leftover soap or paint. You should also rinse the cage. Wrap the roller cover in a clean towel to remove excess water. You should stand the roller cover up to dry. Dry the cage with paper towels.
- Alternatively, you can use a garden hose to rinse any remaining residue from the roller cover. Put the roller on a pole and spray the roller with a hose until the paint starts spinning off. If you run the hose over the entire roller, the paint will be sucked out with the force of the spinning. Then put the stream of water on the very edge of the roller and let it spin fast to leave the roller almost dry, because the water will also spin out.^{[2]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Removing Oil-Based Paint

1
Get rid of excess paint. You can paint over surfaces with the roller. Choose an area that hasn’t been painted properly or that is fairly inconspicuous, and roll the roller on that area. You may have some dry paint that stuck is on the roller. Using a tool such as 5 in 1 or a putty knife, scrape the paint off.^{[3]
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2
Determine what type of paint remover you will use. Consult the paint label. The label should state what the best solvent for this paint is. Common solvents are mineral spirits, denatured alcohol and paint thinner.
3
Prepare paint trays. Get rid of any excess material in your paint trays. Fill two or three trays with paint remover. You should also fill one tray with warm water.
- When you fill these trays, you should pour in enough fluid to cover an entire roller cover and cage.
4
Clean the roller. Remove your paint roller cover from the roller cage and place it in the first tray of paint remover. Leave it in for about five minutes. Gently move the roller cover from side to side. Then, put the roller cover into the next tray. Let the cover sit in the tray for three to four minutes. This process should clear the roller cover of paint. If there is still paint on the roller cover, then you should put the cover in another tray of paint remover. You should follow the same procedure with the roller cage.
5
Rinse and dry the roller. In order to rinse the roller cover, you should place the roller cover in the tray full of warm water. You can use paper towels to dry off the roller cover. After you dry the roller cover, you should stand the roller cover up in a dry place. You should rinse the roller cage in the same manner. You can also dry the roller cage with paper towels.
6
Recycle. Put your used paint thinner through a funnel into its original container and recycle it for another use. If you don’t want to recycle your paint thinner, then you will need to dispose of it according to the regulations in your municipality. You can generally find these regulations on your municipality's website. If your municipality does not have a website, then you should contact your city's department of sanitation.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Readying Your Supplies and Work Space

1
Put on gloves. You don’t want to get any paint on your hands. To ensure that this does not happen, you should wear a pair of gloves. Rubber or latex gloves both work. You can find these at your local supermarket. These will keep your hands clean and safe.
2
Protect your eyes. The chemicals used to get rid of the paint can be dangerous. Protective eyewear will prevent the chemicals from splashing into your eyes. Plastic goggles should work. You can also wear work-glasses as well. You can obtain goggles or work-glasses at a hardware store. Find goggles or work glasses that fit your face, you don’t want them to fall off!
3
Prepare the area. You don’t want to get your space dirty when you clean the rollers. You may want to toss some old newspapers on the floor where you will be cleaning the paint rollers. Or, you may want to consider cleaning the rollers over paint trays. Any space that you can clean easily should work as well. For example, you might want to clean your rollers in your garage or basement.
4
Disassemble the roller. You will be cleaning the roller cover and its cage separately. By taking apart the roller, you will make it easier to thoroughly clean these parts. Take the roller cover from the roller cage. You can do this over the paint tray. Depending on the type of roller that you have, you will either simply pull the roller out of the cage or unscrew it from the cage.
5
Store it. If you aren’t going to immediately clean your rollers, then you need to keep them in a sealed off space. To keep the roller fresh, place the roller in plastic wrap.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Ryan Owsiany
Drywall & Painting Specialist
Expert Interview. 20 May 2021.} Then, put it in the refrigerator.^{[5]
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- By preserving your rollers, you can avoid the hassle of cleaning. This is a good option for when you are completing a multi-day project.

Expert Q&A

Question

Is there a way to get dry paint off a roller?

Ryan Owsiany
Drywall & Painting Specialist
Ryan Owsiany is a Drywall and Painting Specialist and the Owner of Patch and Paint Pros in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. With over two decades of experience, Ryan specializes in interior and exterior house painting as well as drywall, plaster, and water damage repair. Ryan holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Penn State University. Patch and Paint Pros only employ experienced, friendly painters that understand proper preparation is required to ensure client satisfaction on every painting project.

Ryan Owsiany

Drywall & Painting Specialist

Expert Answer

If the paint is just starting to dry, you might be able to scrub it and get it off. If it's been drying for more than a couple of hours, though, it's probably better to toss that roller out and get a new one.
Question

The paint dried on the side of the paint bucket. How do I clean it off?

Lana Beals

Community Answer

You can get some acetone and a cotton swab to scrub it off.

Warnings

Always dispose of water-based paint in a sink attached to a sanitary sewer. Never pour waste paint down a storm drain.

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Check your local ordinances regarding the disposal of oil-based paint.

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