Painting the walls at home is associated with a lot of disarray, dirt and patience. Most people imagine buckets and brushes everywhere, nylon covers on all furniture, and the nauseating smell of paint. But with pre-planning and applying a few simple tricks, you will forget your fears and repaint your home like professionals.

How to keep carpet clean when painting 3

How often should I paint my house walls?

Wall painting at home is part of the mandatory repairs that you need to take at least once every 2-3 years. The most sensible time to go through this process is during the warmer months of the year. That's when the windows and balconies are open around the clock and the premises are quickly ventilated. The warm air will accelerate the drying of painted areas, and the unpleasant smell will not dazzle your head.

What things should i consider while painting my home?

Naturally, the most important element in repainting the home is the type and colour of paint you have chosen for the walls. You can look up the symbolism of colours according to Feng Shui, if you are interested in the latest ideas for a modern home. Alternatively, you can listen to your heart or let your imagination guide you.

The main thing to keep in mind, however, is that before applying any shade to them, the walls must be perfectly smooth. Before you can begin painting, you need to remove all paintings and ornaments. Also, you should take some measures to protect the carpet in advance, in order not to spoil it with paint stains.

Painting at home

How to protect my carpets and upholstery when painting?

Take at least two cotton or polythene dust sheets of varying thickness. The thinner one should be used to cover the furniture, and the thicker should be placed on the flooring. Fix the sheets in place with masking tape, also known as painter's tape. This way, they will not be displaced until the tape is released.

To protect the carpets, you do not have to use a new sheet, you can use old pieces. Plus, you do not have to cover the whole room if you don't feel like it. You can move the pieces depending on where you are currently working. However, bear in mind that you can buy a wide and long dust sheet for as little as £5.

If you have skirting boards that cannot be removed, there is another way to avoid painting them too. Use painter's tape to cover up the skirting boards partially when placing the dust sheets. This is also how you can prevent paint from dribbling behind the skirting board.

You may also like: How to Clean Your Carpet Without a Shampooer?

How to keep carpet clean when painting 2

What to do before I start painting the walls?

Once you have chosen the colour, it is time to proceed to the repainting of the walls. Pre-conditioning of the premises is the most important step of the painting process. If you do it right, it will save you all the headaches you are so worried about.

There is one simple trick to avoiding paint drops and splashes on the carpeted floor when the brushes have been dipped. Place all paint boxes and accessories in one corner of the room on a cover (cardboard, paper, sheet). Then, even with protection on the flooring, you will be certain no paint will spill.

Do not forget to close the paint buckets between use, so the paint will not thicken, and your brush will remain soft. An important part of painting is having windows wide open. Wet paint will always have a hefty smell to it, which takes a few hours to go away.

Next, take care of the small furniture, like coffee tables, and personal items such as phone chargers. Everything that can easily be brought out of the room should go. Everything that can be easily detached from the wall must also be removed before you paint it.

All that remains is to remove the built-in cabinets and sections. For this purpose, you will need a screwdriver or a power tool. Make sure you have the suitable ones for the bolts your cupboards are on.

If you've done all of the above, only the bulky furniture has to remain in the room. We're speaking of big wardrobes and huge bunk beds. You do not have to complicate your life by moving them out of the room. Place all the furniture in the middle of the room so that they don't take up any wall space.

How do i handle the wet brushes and the rest of the paint?

When painting, if you immerse the entire brush in the bucket, it is likely that it will dry out. This will prevent you from being able to clean it off later, and you will need to buy another.

Similarly, if you apply too much paint, the roller fibres may become clogged. Instead, immerse only the tip of the brush and drain the roller. You get two benefits - you save latex and avoid unwanted drops of paint on the carpet.

For thorough cleaning of the carpet after painting, you usually have two optional courses of action. Either contact the professionals, who will clean your carpet by using special equipment and cleaning products, or do it yourself. You can also rent special equipment that will help you to deal with the task in a shorter time, or use improvised means.

If you would like to know more about paint stains, which are typical issues, we have you covered. We also have an article for nail polish, which is the dwarf version of a paint stain.

Check also: How to clean tough carpet stains?

How to avoid paint stains

How to remove paint stains from carpets?

In case you messed up and now there's paint on the carpet fibres, step 1 is to not panic. Paint stains are indeed difficult to remove, and once they dry, it's almost impossible. But again, we cannot stress this enough, do not panic, as paint can be removed.

Start by blotting the paint away with a clean white cotton cloth or a paper towel. You want to never rub or scrub a paint stain if it is still wet, as that may push it deeper inside. If using a non-white towel, make sure the material is colour fast, otherwise it will bleed colour too.

Once you have blotted away what you could, break out the nail polish remover. Preferably, it should contain acetone, which breaks down the paint particles and keeps them from drying. You should be very swift, as paint dries quickly, especially if it's not latex. Use another clean cloth to apply it via dabbing, and do not rub it into the fibres.

If you accidentally left the paint to dry, things become more complicated. The issue is that when dry, paint particles stick to the carpet fibres like glue. To unglue it, you will need something nail polish remover cannot provide.

Prochem Solvex is a professional cleaning product by a leading brand on the UK cleaning market. It is applied much in the same way nail polish remover is applied. The solvent applies humidity back to the stain and helps unglue the paint plaguing your carpet fibres.

When using Solvex, remember to not over-apply and go by the other manufacturer instructions. This also means leaving your windows open, but they should be open anyway. After all, we did inform you of paint's specific smell, didn't we?