How To Organize Touch-Up Paint For Less Than $40

Need To Downsize Your Paint Collection?

If you have never had to hunt through messy, rusty, gloppy paint cans to find touch-up paint, then stop reading right now.  However, if you have a growing collection of paint….

Motivational Monday

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Congratulations you’ve taken the first step to acknowledging you have the same problem as 99% of other households when it comes to old paint.   Today, on another Motivational Monday post, we are going to suggest a, less than $40, foolproof way to never have to hunt for touch-up paint again.

Nearly Every Home Improvement Involves Paint

As interior designers we acknowledge that no matter what the size of a project is, there is going to be paint involved.  DIY homeowners to full service design clients love paint.  Unless there is a concentrated effort to discard a project’s paint, those cans will take up a life long residency.  How many of us have moved into a new home and been blessed with the previous owners unrecognizable paint leftovers?

Organizing Paint After The Thrill Of The Home Improvement Is Gone

Ha!  Ben could not have been more spot on than applying his theory to the search for the right touch-up paint!  Searching through, sorting and stacking old rusty, gloppy paint cans is nasty job no one likes.  Ever found the can thought to be the correct paint only to have it be the wrong color, the wrong sheen, dried out or knocks you off your feet from the rancid smell when you open it?  And that’s if you can get the lid off in the first place.  Thought so.

Before the weather turns warm, and we get the urge to do a spring clean out, let’s tackle the problem of old paint once and for all.

Storing “Just Enough” Touch- Up Paint

Why do we keep cans of paint when we seldom use them again?  We justify keeping paint either because we paid for it, or because we are too lazy to get rid of it.  There is a better way!

Reduce The Amount Of Paint To Keep

While the paint is still fresh, and product info is available, transfer paint into smaller, clear, wide mouth containers with good seals.  While you are gathering supplies, pick up some disposal brushes to have on hand.  Think of all the space saved with smaller containers and how convenient it will be to do touch-up!

4 Glass Jars with Rubber Seals – $26.99

4 Plastic Jars – $16.79

4 Pack Disposal Brushes – $2.41

Quick, Easy & Accurate Paint Labeling

Sure, you can go all out on professional labeling but that is not in most of our gene pools and we need “quick”!  Blue painters tape is perfect for most labeling needs.  It sticks to the surface of the containers, but can peel off easily.  With a quick tear, we can have one or multiple pieces with information.  Make a mistake?  No big deal, start fresh in seconds.  Using a fine point permanent marker is all we need for long term success.

Info For Label

• date of orignal use
• manufacturer of paint & product name
• color name and number
• sheen of paint
• where used, ie: Bob’s Bedroom Walls

Blue Painters Tape – $3.58

Fine Point Black Sharpie Marker- $5.63

Proper Paint Disposal and Donation

Now that we’ve got all of our touch up paint in order, it’s time to dispose of any remaining paint in the cans.  If you’d like to take the cans to a local disposal site, you can research what is available in your area.  However, if you are like many of us and know this will be another item on the low priority to do list, Lowe’s recommends this method for  properly disposing of paint .

For fresh, nearly full, cans of paint try donating them to organizations that gladly accepts paint for their own projects. 

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