A Piece Of Aluminum Foil Will Preserve Your Can Of Leftover Paint

Aluminum foil is one of the most versatile items ever created. There are numerous uses for it in your home that have absolutely nothing to do with food. These shiny sheets can really come in handy when you're getting some painting done, as they can be used in multiple ways throughout the painting process. In fact, you can use a piece of it to preserve your leftover paint and keep it fresh and smooth.

Placing aluminum foil over your paint before you place the lid back on helps prevent the paint from forming a skin. When a layer of thickened paint forms on top of the paint, it can be difficult to remove and get to the usable paint below. Leftover pieces of it can chunk off into your paint, creating an uneven coat. 

Placing foil on top of your paint before securely closing the paint can will help prevent the paint from oxidizing and forming that annoying layer of skin, keeping your paint in top condition.

To prevent that pesky thick layer from forming on top of the paint, you'll want to place a piece of aluminum foil down on a flat surface and place your can over it. Trace around the bottom of the can so you have a circle embedded into the foil. 

Cut this circle out and place it inside your opened can so that the foil circle sits on top of the paint's surface. But there's one more paint-saving step you can take before closing the can. For extra paint-saving power, blow a full breath into the can, which will replace much of the oxygen in the can with carbon dioxide. Oxygen aids the formation of skin, so taking the extra step to displace some of the oxygen can help your paint stay fresh longer. 

Immediately place the lid back on your can.  If you feel confident that the lid is on securely, you can also store the paint can upside down to prevent a skin from forming on top of the paint. When you're ready to use the paint again, just pop the lid off and remove the foil. If you're out of aluminum foil, you can also try wax paper.