Paint Applicators

You have your paint, your drop cloth and tape, but what's the best applicator for the job? Well I have some ideas

1. The old standby, a brush. Is still a great choice? They come in lots of sizes and styles, they're easy to use; give you nice coverage and if you buy a good one it can last for years.

2. Don't like working with a brush? Paint pads give you a crisp edge and a smooth finish; it's a great choice for a novice because it gives you more control. I like using a wide paint pad on furniture, nice, even coverage. The tricky part is you have to work in one direction. And if you have curvy areas a paint pad won't work well, you'll need a foam or bristle brush!

3. If you're trying to cover a big space, like a room, you'll need a brush or a pad to cut in around windows and doors, but I would choose a roller for the walls. It allows you to blend paint easily across the wall so you don't have overlap lines. The key to choosing the right roller is nap, that's the fuzzy cover on the roller. Rough surfaces like stucco need a long nap; choose a shorter nap for smooth surfaces like drywall. Another tip, buy a roller with beveled ends; It'll give you a smoother finish than a roller with blunt ends.

Paint Tips

Painting problems? No worries here, I have some tips to help you out.

1. After you're finished stirring your paint, don't throw away that stick. Let it dry and then write the color, room, brand, and store and purchase date on the other side of the stick. Keep it in a safe place, this way you'll have all of the information you need about your paint, and if it's ever discontinued you'll have a great sample for a color match.

2. If you're changing the color of your room it is worth the small investment to buy a quart of paint to test the color. Paint a good-sized swatch onto the wall and live with it for a few days before making a decision. You'll get a much better feeling than if you simply hold one of those small swatches up to the wall.

3. When starting a painting job, pull on a pair of latex gloves. They won't get in the way and you'll have less clean up when you're through.

4. Small rollers are great for squeezing into small spaces, but refills are expensive. Instead try a ladies sponge curler. It's the same material but you get a whole package for very little money.

5. When you're finished painting blow into the can before you seal it. The carbon dioxide that you exhale will prevent a skin from forming on the paint. Or store the paint can upside down to prevent that skin! Just remember to have the lid on tight.

Stripping Hardware

You painted and skipped the prep work but now you have painted hardware. Well, I can tell you how to fix it.



1. If there are just a few splotches, hold a cloth dipped in warm vinegar over the paint and then use a plastic putty knife to scrape away the drips.

2. If that just isn't going to cut it, carefully remove the hardware from the doors and windows.

3. Lay some foil on your work surface to protect it from chemicals, and pull on a pair of chemical resistant gloves.

4. Work in a well ventilated area. Fill a coffee can about halfway with paint stripper. Then, drop your hardware in the liquid. If you'd like to be able to fish the hardware out just tie a piece of string to the hardware then dip it into the liquid. Be careful not to splash.

5. Let it sit for the amount of time recommended on the package and then carefully pull it out.

6. Scrape away any big drips left on and rinse the hardware well.The good thing about this method is that you can re-use the stripper until your project is completely done.

Paint a Room

If the thought of painting overwhelms you, remember, painting a room can be quick and easy, if you know the way to do it.

1. Move your furniture out or to the middle of the room so you have plenty of space to work. You should also tape off or cover anything you don't want to get paint on.

2. Work one wall at a time. This way if you have to stop you don't have to worry about lap marks from dried paint.

3. Do your cutting in first. Brush a small strip of paint anywhere that is hard to reach with your roller, like corners, windows and doors.

4. Line your paint pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up.

5. Soak your roller with paint and pull it over the ridges in the pan.

6. Work from the top right to bottom left of a wall. An extension handle will make the job much easier. Roll the wall with up and down zig zag motions. Work slowly so that the paint doesn't splatter.

Hands Down!

From smells, to splatters to stains, household tasks can wreak havoc on your hands; I have some tips to clean them up!

1. Don't get caught red handed; berry and fruit stains are easy to fix. Grab some sugar and a fresh lemon in place of soap. Cut the lemon; dip it in some sugar and scrub! The citric acid and the gritty sugar will work together to wash those stains. If you don't have any lemons on hand try plain lemonade mix, it will do the same thing!

2. If your hands smell like garlic or onions, rub a stainless steel spoon over your skin under hot water. The steel reacts with the odors to leave your skin smelling sweet, or at least not garlicky.

3. Latex paint and grease splatters are easily cleaned off of your skin with some white shaving cream. Rub it into your skin and watch the mess disappear, you don't even need any water.

4. Say you want to prevent all of these hand dilemmas but you're not a fan of gloves, rub a thin layer of petroleum jelly over your skin before you start a task. Dirt, grime and stains will wash away easily when you're done.

Just some "handy" tips to help you out at home!

Cleaning Painted Cabinets

If your painted cabinets can use a good cleaning, I have some advice for you.

1. Empty the cabinets.

2. Use the soft brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner and carefully vacuum each cabinet inside and out. It may sound strange, but this will take away loose dust and cobwebs, in turn you'll have less streaking and an easier job.

3. In a clean bucket, mix together a cup of white vinegar, two cups of ammonia, a half a cup of baking soda, and two gallons of warm water. (If the cabinets are really grimy, you may want to try some t-s-p or trisodium phosphate, which is a heavy duty cleaner that you can pick up at home improvement centers, instead).

4. Pull on your rubber gloves, open the cabinet doors, and with very little on your sponge scrub from the bottom up which will prevent streaking. Make sure that you get all of the surfaces of the cabinets including the framework, the inside and outside of the doors and all inside surfaces.

Cheesecloth

From cooking, to cleaning to home repairs, cheesecloth is an indispensable tool that you should have in your home.

1. You can buy cheesecloth in grocery stores and home improvement centers, it is a loose weave, lint free gauzy fabric originally used to wrap cheese!

2. Use cheesecloth and a little mineral spirits to buff away any buildup and residue on a piece of furniture.

3. In the home repair venue you can use cheesecloth to strain lumpy paint, secure it over the top of the can and pour it into a paint pan.

4. It is also a great staining pad because it doesn't absorb excess stain and doesn't leave behind any lint.

5. It's that same lint-free quality that makes this cloth great for cleaning plus it's loose weave polishes and cleans everything from furniture to windows easily.

6. Cheesecloth is also useful in the kitchen too. Drape it over a bowl before squeezing lemons or limes to keep the seeds out.

7. You can also use cheesecloth to strain yogurt or squeeze excess moisture out of frozen spinach.

8. These are only a few of the hundreds of ways that you can use cheesecloth around your home. I'm Mrs. Fixit and it's just that simple!

Spicy Idea!

For years, whenever we go on vacation I've been collecting sand from different places we've visited and I always just had it in ziploc bags. We'll I was at a favorite little treasure store and saw an old wood spice rack with glass bottles and had one of those lightbulb moments. These jars would make the perfect place to put the sand! A little sanding and some black paint made the rack look like new, and some new labels for the jars gave me just the display I needed. Now, every time I walk by the rack I remember all of our fun family trips! Check out the pix!

Alternative Drapery Hardware

If you want something a little different in drapery hardware, I have what you're looking for. Get a pegged coat rack that is the same width as your window, and paint it out to match the decor. Then, screw the board into place across the top of the window. Then, you can hang tab top draperies over the pegs for a fun new look. For a more classic look, try attaching pretty, old doorknobs to the pegboard. You could also attach doorknobs at the sides of the window and use them as bases for tiebacks. If you would just like a draping effect, get some plant hanging brackets. Hang the brackets on either side of the window and simply drape some sheer fabrics across them. For a fancier look, tie loose knots around the bracket with the fabric. This will give a kind of rosebud effect. If the curtains will hide the rod all together, try an adjustable shower rod; it is less expensive than curtain rods and it will fit a variety of window sizes.