Latex paint rollers? ? ?

[Ray Jenkins]

I have heard that you can put used latex rollers in a plastic bag, then in the freezer, and not have to clean them between jobs.

Is this correct? Or is there a better way?

I will be using the roller over a period of several days and want to avoid either throwing it away or having to clean it at the end of eash painting session.

[Joseph Meehan]

Assuming you are using the same paint color that usually works. Some cheap rollers will be shed, but cheap rollers should not be used for anything other than rough work anyway. The freezer is to keep them from getting moldy.

[Bryan]

I wrap them in cling wrap, saran wrap, etc., then in the fridge.

Works great. Sometimes it takes a few strokes to get the roller to warm up and work well again.

I've got one in there now, I'm going to use it in an hour or so.

Try it - you don't have much to lose.

- Bryan

[zip]

I don't paint by trade, but here's what I did last summer when I painted my living/dining rooms - I just put the wet roller into a common plastic grocery bag. Pat the bag against the roller... the inside of the bag sticks to the wet paint and forms a completely airtight seal everywhere it touches. Next day, peel the roller out of the bag, toss the bag, continue painting.

[Ray Jenkins]

Thanks Bryan --

Yu say "in the fridge" -- do you mean the freezer, or the regular cooling cabinet?

[xrongor]

the fridge. if latex paint freezes, its done with. it will seperate never to be latex paint again.

randy

[xymergy]

My method exactly, works great, recommended highly.

[Bryan]

I've just used the cooling cabinet, not the freezer. You're just trying to keep the evaporation rate to a minimum.

- Bryan

[Ray Jenkins]

[Joseph Meehan]

Frankly I believe it is more a matter of mold rate. However in either case, the frig seems to be enough. I do understand freezing is also OK.

[Bryan]

I've kept rollers in the fridge for as long as a week. I put them in, I take them out when I need them. If they don't paint well, I throw them away and put on a new one.

A weekend should be fine.

- Bryan

[xymergy]

Over a weekend, if the bag is very tightly closed and all air is squeezed out.

[jeffc]

You don't even need to freeze it. Wrap it well in Saran wrap (don't let any air get to the roller) and then just keep it in the refrigerator. You don't need to wait for it to "unfreeze" that way.)