Don't Throw Out That Stir Stick: How It Can Help You With Your Paint Project

It's the onus of any thrifty DIYer to stretch every material's use as far as they can take it. We can repurpose common items into household decor or give them all-new functions when they outlive their normal usefulness. Or, we can find alternative uses in the moment, saving us time, money, and effort on tasks while ensuring we always get maximum value from our tools. Even something as basic as a paint stir stick can do more than just mix up our favorite colors. In fact, stir stick manufacturers already give us extra use through a clever design detail that you may not have given much thought — a paint roller cleaner!

Ever notice that weird rounded notch at the end of the stir stick? What you may have thought was the world's worst attempt at a handle is actually a handy scraper shaped to fit your paint roller cover for easy cleanup. Holding the roller vertically over the open can, run this notch firmly down the cover to release the paint. Depending on the cover material and nap size, this can recover loads of paint. Do this several times around the roller to remove as much paint as possible, and you're all set! No more searching for your 5-in-1 or, worse, scraping the roller awkwardly on the can rim. The stir stick is convenient and effective, and as you'll see, paint removal is hardly the only neat way this unassuming tool can push your paint project along.

Stir sticks mix the paint to start the project and scrape the roller to finish it. In between, they can take on surprising uses to speed up the job and solve irritating painting issues you might face. Aside from removing paint from roller covers, for example, you can lay your stir stick over the can and use bands to secure it to the handle hooks, giving you a place to wipe excess paint off your brush. Then, you'll prevent paint from filling the can rim and causing issues putting the lid back on.

Sometimes, you can even stretch the use to the actual painting process. You may have to use a stir stick to paint in tight spaces, employing it as an extension arm to reach tricky spots. If you don't like the idea of taping borders, you can also use it to help you define clean edges. Lay a stir stick flat on the floor while painting baseboards, moving it along as you work to keep the paint on the trim and not the hardwood. And once you're finished, the stick can even help as you store your leftover paint cans. While you can always reuse stir sticks after cleaning them, you could also use them as labels for an organizing hack that'll help you keep track of your paint. From the second you start the job to the moment it ends, your stir stick is well worth holding onto to help throughout the paint project.