Maximize Your Painting Efficiency: Tips for Using Trays and Buckets

Let’s be honest—we all want to transform our spaces, but we dread having to clean after. The part where you are to paint is enjoyable, but the process of planning, getting the right tools, and cleaning and disposing of all the mess is a task we wish could just disappear. So if you are here as a beginner trying to start your first painting project or someone who has already done it but wants to save your energy and time for things that matter, we will walk you through the practicalities of how to maximise your efficiency using the necessary tools, especially your painting trays and buckets.

Choose the right tools for the job. While we want to have fewer tools to clean, it will be easier to store the tools after you use the tools for their own specific functions. If your project is specific to furniture painting or other elements that are small or medium-sized, use your paint trays, especially if your paint needs to be evenly applied. However, with larger projects, your buckets will give you better ease of carrying more paint at once.

Do not underestimate the function of the liners. Believe it or not, if there’s one tool that understands how hard it is to maintain your tools, it’s the liners. These are disposable and affordable, plus, it keeps you from scrubbing dried paint repeatedly.

Fill your tray or bucket with just enough paint. Painting is such an exciting task; however, to keep you from future spills and drips while in the process of doing the project, it is best to just fill it with just the amount you need. The general rule of thumb is to fill your tray halfway and your bucket with the right amount of paint to dip your brush just halfway into the bristles.

Use grids and rollers for even application. A paint grid is like an insert that hooks into your bucket so your roller can have an even coat of paint even before touching the surface. On larger surfaces, repeatedly refilling can cause your walls to have a rough finish or even uneven coats of paint. This keeps you away from overthinking the application, and just focus on enjoying the process.

Keep your tools at bay and organized. When we talk of efficiency, we always think of minimising unnecessary tasks that could have been anticipated prior to starting. So for this to work, you need to line up all the necessities you need before you start, keeping them within arm’s reach.

Here’s an additional pro-tip: Hooks and hangers are such a game-changer, especially when painting on multiple levels; just hook your paint into your ladder and watch the magic happen.

Efficiency in every task is not about minimising the tools to take out for the task—it’s actually knowing which tools are appropriate for the job. When you finally find your niche, your painting projects will become a much more enjoyable hobby than a tedious task.