Paint rollers are an essential tool for painters and DIY enthusiasts. To have a paint roller that works well, you need to take excellent care of it, including cleaning the paint rollers after every use. Many painters are confused about drying the paint roller after washing it; do they leave it in the sun to dry naturally, or do they put it in the dryer for fast drying?
You cannot and should not put paint rollers in the dryer. Since paint rollers are made of carbon cores and plastics, instant heat from the dryer can easily damage them. Once damaged, the paint rollers will become difficult to use and could even start a fire.
A dryer can be helpful in so many ways, but drying paint rollers isn’t one of them. Below, I’ll discuss safe and effective alternative methods/tools you can use to dry a paint roller. Keep reading.
The Dryers’ High Heat Can Easily Damage Paint Rollers
The main reason you shouldn’t put your paint rollers in the dryer is to avoid damaging them or causing fire accidents. Electric dryers would’ve effectively dried paint rollers after cleaning if they were made of clothing fabrics.
So how can you dry paint rollers safely? The next sections will explain this.
What Can I Use To Dry My Paint Rollers?
As you can rightly guess, a paint roller needs effective care from how you use it, the cleaning process, and how you dry it out.
But since I’ve counted out roller drying in a dryer, you must be wondering what the best ways are for drying your paint rollers.
You can use several drying methods, including sun-drying, an old towel, or the spinning technique to dry your paint rollers. These are very effective ways of drying your paint rollers without damaging them.
I’ll discuss each of these below to help you understand your options.
1. Use Old Towels To Dry Paint Rollers
You can use a paper towel used in cleaning paint or an old rag to dry them out quickly. Below are steps for drying paint rollers using old towels:
- Rinse out all the paint from the rollers thoroughly.
- Use a paper towel if the paint is still wet, and use your hand to squeeze out the maximum amount of paint from the roller. You can also use a putty knife or other straight-edged tools in this step. Just like paper towels are better options for removing bacteria than your kitchen towel, they can equally do a better job drying your paint roller.
- Put your paint rollers on an old rag or towel and turn them around until there’s no more paint dripping.
- Hang your paint roller upside down to dry out the rest of the moisture before air-drying them completely.
The downside of using this method is that you need many towels to get all the paint off.
Doing so is time-consuming, too, as the rollers take a long time to dry.
2. Dry Your Paint Rollers Under the Sun
Drying paint rollers under the sun is the go-to method for most people because it’s easy and doesn’t require much time or effort.
Hang your rollers in a dry, well-ventilated area with plenty of sunlight.
The sun will easily dry out the moisture and ready your rollers for future use.
A good tip is to clean your paint rollers early in the day, just like clothes, so you can optimally tap on the day’s sun rays. Although this method is cost-effective, it can take a long time for your rollers to dry completely (up to 24 hours).
There are a few different ways to spin dry your roller.
The first method is using an old drill or power tool with the proper attachment, and the other way is using a bucket of water and spin-drying by hand.
3. You Can Dry Paint Rollers in a Few Minutes With the Drill Method
This technique requires an extra pair of hands to hold onto the wet roller while you’re drilling it. The advantage of this method is that it’s fast and you can get the job done in a few minutes.
However, this method can be dangerous if you’re not careful. So, make sure you always wear goggles and gloves when drilling your roller.
4. The Bucket Method Is the Safest Way To Dry Paint Rollers
This is the most popular way to spin dry your rollers, and it’s also the safest.
All you need is an old bucket and a drill with a socket adapter.
With the bucket, you only have to use one hand to hold the roller and the other hand to spin the drill in the empty bucket.
The advantage of this method is that it’s straightforward to do, and it’s also safe; you only spin within your physical limits.
However, this method takes a little longer than the drill method as it’s a manual and tiresome spinning method.
Whichever spinning method you choose, remember that the faster you spin, the faster your rollers will dry.
Conclusion
Cleaning and drying paint rollers don’t have to be a daunting or time-consuming task.
By using one of the alternative methods we’ve described above, you can quickly get your rollers clean and dry so you can continue with your painting project.
Now that I’ve answered the question, “Can you put paint rollers in the dryer?” I hope you’ll have an easier time cleaning and drying your rollers after your next DIY painting project.
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