Slacker Hack: How to store your leftover paint

A little hack I picked up years ago that makes life simpler. Fewer rusty, dusty, hard-to-open cans stored in the basement. Keep a couple of throw-away sponge brushes handy, and you can do touchups in a flash with minimal clean up.

Save those empty sports bottles to store your leftover paint. I like these gatorade ones, with an easy open/close cap. T

Save those empty sports bottles to store your leftover paint. I like these Gatorade ones, which have a really easy to  open/close cap.

Use a funnel to fill 'em up.

Use a funnel to fill ’em up.

 

Drop in a couple of marbles--that way, you can just shake the bottles to mix the paint up when you need it.

Drop in a couple of marbles–that way, you can just shake the bottles to mix the paint up when you need it.

 

Label them carefully, and stow them in a reused six pack carton so they are easy to stow and tote.

Label them carefully. I like to put them in a reused six pack carton, so they are easy to stow (they won’t tip over) and tote.

When you need to do a touch up, just shake the bottle and pour a bit of paint out on a paper plate, a piece of cardboard, or other makeshift paint palette.

When you need to do a touch up, just shake the bottle and pour a bit of paint out on a paper plate, a piece of cardboard, or other makeshift paint palette.

 

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