Tip for storing leftover paint for touch ups

15 years ago

You've finished your job, and you have just a little bit of paint leftover in the can. You know if you let that sit for a year or more, it will probably dry up or the can will get rusty.

This has worked for me.

1. Pour the leftover paint into baby food jars (one or more depending on how much you have leftover or want to keep for touch ups).

2. Put a piece of plastic wrap over the opening, then screw on the lid.

3. Label the paint jar with color, room where it was used, and date.

4. Place the jar in a plastic ziploc bag and store in a dark place where the temp doesn't get too hot or too cold.

Your paint will stay as good as new for years.

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Comments (6)

graywings123
15 years ago
I do the same thing but I use larger jars to make it easier to dip the brush in. Wide mouth half pint canning jars are good.
Faron79
15 years ago
I was gonna say Canning-Jars too...

The rubber seal on the separate lid is perfect for keeping air out. Tighten-down the ring well, as you would for food.

Also-
The less air-space, the better. Old ping-ping balls can take up some space if ya got some!

Faron
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graywings123
15 years ago
Ping pong balls in the paint can? What do you do with them when you want to use the paint? Sounds messy.
PRO
Lori A. Sawaya
15 years ago
Put 'em in a bowl and call them decorative accessories well-coordinated to the room. :)
ionized_gw
15 years ago
"Put 'em in a bowl and call them decorative accessories well-coordinated to the room. :)"

Now that his funny! Seriously, they would probably make better decorative accessories than most of the stuff at [insert the name of your favorite tacky decorative accessories store here] and a lot less expensive.
User
15 years ago
I do the reverse - put the well-mixed leftover paint into ziplock freezer bags, press out almost all the air and seal it.

LABEL THE BAGS!

Then I store the baggies of paint in the original can. If I need touchup paint, I take out one small baggie.