These handy tips of the trade from Tara Dennis will save you time and effort when you’re decorating.

Cleaning paint roller

Investing in a paint roller cleaner will save you heaps of time. You simply pop the roller inside and connect the cleaner to the garden hose. When the tap is turned on, water spins the roller and cleans it in a few minutes.

Hammering nail

When using tiny nails there’s always a risk of hitting your thumb with the hammer. Tara suggests holding the nails in position by placing them between the teeth of a comb. No more painful thumbs!

Labelling paint

When it’s time to touch up your paintwork, there’s nothing worse than rummaging around under the house trying to read the labels on paint tins. When decorating, Tara’s tip is to save paint samples in clean jars, clearly labelled with the brand and colour name. (Safety tip: store the samples out of reach of children.)

Further information

Paint roller cleaners are available at hardware and paint shops. They cost around $23.

Copyright CTC Productions 2003