Reach For This Kitchen Staple To Keep Your Paint Tray Mess-Free

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It's happened to all of us. We buy the shiny new paint tray, promising ourselves that this will be the time we'll finally keep it clean and tidy. But despite your best efforts — reusing plastic bags and planning to deep clean it — the paint tray is still a mess. Instead, skip the stress and broken promises, and cover your paint tray with a dependable kitchen staple: cling wrap.

Known for covering everything from Thanksgiving foods to school-lunch sandwiches, plastic wrap has become ubiquitous for leftovers. But thanks to its malleable, impermeable nature, it's also a low-key hero at keeping your paint tray tidy. Simply lay it over your tray before you pour in the paint and start rolling. And yes, you could simply wash the paint tray for continued use, but if you're anything like us, that's a chore you put off...and off...and off. Plastic wrap makes it all simple.

There have been a lot of hacks similar to this over the years, from the inverted plastic bag pulled over the tray to the inexpensive plastic tray liners available at the grocery store. But a slightly too-enthusiastic paint pour or roll in the tray can cause paint to splatter under the plastic bag. And let's be real, buying something else to store in your house just sounds like clutter waiting to happen when you already have a better paint tray alternative at home. 

While this is a straightforward hack for keeping your paint tray clean, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, pick a thicker option, like Glad Press'N Seal Food Plastic Wrap, over thin cling wrap. It doesn't need to be a heavy-duty one like the shrink-wrap that holds product pallets together. But because paint isn't exactly a light liquid (half a gallon weighs about 3 pounds on average), you want a plastic wrap that won't tear under its weight.

Next, check that the wrap is wide enough to cover your entire tray. Most paint trays are around 11 inches wide (smaller ones clock in around 6 inches). If your wrap isn't wide enough, overlap two large pieces and do a test run to see if paint leaks through. To secure it, add a piece of painter's tape on the bottom side. Bear in mind that plastic wrap and tape don't usually play well together because they're both sticky. So, ask someone to hold the plastic steady while you tape. To keep the plastic in place while you paint, one DIYer suggested folding a piece of painter's tape in on itself for makeshift double-stick tape and adding it to the paint tray before the plastic.

Once you're done painting, dispose of the paint-drenched plastic properly. Check your local waste regulations to see if it needs to go to a specific paint disposal site or can be thrown away as solid waste. If the latter, carefully lift the plastic out of the tray and let it dry. Then toss it into your solid waste can.