When looking at the big picture, foam rollers might not be very expensive. However, having to repurchase simple paint sundries over and over because you didn’t clean them properly can get annoying. Eventually, the cost of those paint sundries will begin to add up to a number you might not like. You don’t have to let things get that far if you make sure you get all the paint out when you clean a foam roller. Here are some tips on getting all the paint out.
Use your hands.
Cleaning a foam roller isn’t a quick one-and-done rinse. As you are painting, foam rollers accumulate a lot of paint. The best thing you can do is rinse the foam roller thoroughly , then use your fingers to massage all of that paint out under some hot water. It will take time and patience. Keep massaging until the water runs clear. For oil-based paints, use solvent to get all the paint out.
Use a spinner of some sort with a powerful stream of water.
Again, the key is to get all the paint out of the roller. Spinning the roller while spraying it with water uses the power of centrifugal force to clean the roller. You probably don’t want a scientific explanation, so in simple terms, when you spray the roller with, say a waterhose, the roller spins so fast that all the paint gets thrown off. You may want to make sure you use a large bucket to catch all the paint, otherwise you’ll have a huge mess to clean up.
