The Bucket Hack You Should Be Using Instead Of A Painting Tray

Does this sound familiar? You complete one of your painting projects, only to find yourself with what feels like an endless mess afterward. Your walls might look great, but your bathtub is about to suffer the consequences as you wash your plastic paint tray. Luckily, you can easily rectify this by grabbing a plastic bucket, a trash bag, and a wire rack, eliminating the need to use plastic paint trays again. This means no more messy cleanup (trust us, your pipes — and the environment — will thank you). This also keeps local waterways free from toxic chemicals found in paint. Some of these volatile organic compounds (VOCs) include formaldehyde, ethyl acetate, benzene, and xylene. When these carcinogenic chemicals are washed down the drain, they make their way into lakes and reservoirs, polluting your drinking water and affecting local wildlife. This occurs when these chemicals enter groundwater. But the damage doesn't stop there.

Even if you use "green" paint, you're still washing harsh products down your drain. This can greatly affect your plumbing, as paint can coat your pipes, leaving a thick film as it dries. Over time, the build-up causes your pipes to clog, necessitating a (costly) call to your local plumber. As with any type of paint — even "green" paint — you're still putting foreign substances down your sink, polluting local water sources. So ditch the plastic paint tray and follow the steps in this TikTok hack from @familydiytv. 

As mentioned, to carry out this inventive TikTok hack, you'll need a bucket, a plastic garbage bag, and a stackable wire rack. You can find these racks at the Dollar Tree, and since you'll be using this to paint with, why spend more than a few bucks on it? You'll then want to use your plastic bag to line your bucket (a 5-gallon bucket is the best size, and you can easily purchase it from Home Depot for less than $5). Next, insert your wire rack vertically. You'll want it to have stackable legs to grip the rim of your bucket. Next, pour in your paint and then insert your paint roller. You'll use the wire rack to remove any excess paint, running your roller up and down it. 

Once you're done painting, you can toss your plastic bag in the trash. It's that simple! If you wound up having excess paint left over, you can easily transfer it back into your paint cans. Just close up your trash bag, hold it over a paint can, and cut a small hole to let your paint drain out. This incredible TikTok hack helps you avoid messy cleanups and prevents you from wasting paint. It also keeps toxic chemicals out of local water sources and protects your pipes in the process.