Any tips for saving a paint roller for the next day?

I find my painting projects last me days and I really do not want the mission of having to wash and dry the roller daily, it really makes the project a lot harder and less enjoyable. I was wondering if any of you amazing DIY enthusiasts have some hacks for saving a paint roller for the next day.


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  22 answers
  • Redcatcec Redcatcec on Feb 03, 2023


    You could pack the paint roller in a zip-lock sandwich bag. Squeeze out all the air and seal tightly then put the bag in the freezer. The cool temperature and high humidity keeps the paint from drying out. It will take about 20 minutes for the paint roller to thaw and be ready for use.


  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Feb 03, 2023

    Pop the Roller into a Poly bag and seal it till the following day without washing it. It should be ok to go.

  • Janice Janice on Feb 03, 2023

    Cover the paint roller as best you can with either a plastic bag or plastic wrap, then place the entire unit into another plastic bag and store in a cool place. I've been known to put my in the fridge when my house was hot when we were painting. It worked great!

  • Deb K Deb K on Feb 03, 2023

    Hi Amy, hope this helps you out. You can store the paint brushes and rollers without cleaning two ways.

    First: Using Plastic wrap

    1 Get a thick coat of paint onto the roller. For very short breaks while painting (up to 5 minutes), this is often enough to prevent the paint roller from drying out.

    For breaks that are a little longer, such as between coats, proceed to the next step.

    2 Cover the roller in plastic wrap. Bear in mind that this can be messy, so you may wish to wear gloves.

    Take the plastic wrap around the roll portion of the roller a couple of times, and tear the plastic wrap off.

    3: Temporarily store the roller. Place the wrapped roller on a tarp or other protected surface while you wait for paint to dry, take lunch, or focus on trim work.

    Second: Using Aluminum Foil

    1 Coat the roller generously in paint. Before storing your roller overnight or for a longer period of time, you must get a thick coating of paint on it that will not inadvertently dry easily.

    2 foil on a tarp or other protected surface.

    Then, place the paint-laden roller on top of the foil, using a diagonal cant if necessary.

    3 Wrap the foil around spongy portion of the roller. Wrap the foil over the entire surface of the rolling part of the roller, and press down the edges to prevent air from getting inside.

    Store the roller until its next use.

    I prefer the foil method foil because it retains a better seal to keep moisture in and air out.

  • You can seal it up in plastic wrap or a plastic bag. Also put it in the refrigerator.


  • Mogie Mogie on Feb 03, 2023

    I take a piece of foil and put it snuggly over the roller. Just be careful that there are no gaps where air can get in a harden the roller and make sure it isn't dripping wet with paint.

  • William William on Feb 03, 2023

    I use a gallon freezer bag. Squeeze the air out and pop it in the refrigerator. If you plan to use it the next day you don't need to put in the fridge.

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Feb 03, 2023

    I put mine in a plastic bag (target is my favorite) and put in the fridge. same for brushes. But this only works only latex paint.

  • Dee Dee on Feb 03, 2023

    When I paint, I wrap my rolllers and brushes in a plastic bag, put them in the fridge. I have done this for over a week several times. The only thing you need to do is take them out of the fridge about 15 minutes before start painting so that they are not "Cold"


  • Sue Sue on Feb 03, 2023

    I have covered mine with plastic wrap and then tin foil and refrigerated over night.

  • I usually use one or two plastic bags from the produce aisle of the grocery store or thin plastic grocery bags. Stuff the roller portion in, roll the bag tightly around the roller cover and sometimes I’ll tape it closed. Key is to keep as much air out as possible. This keeps for quite a while for me, sometimes a couple weeks.

  • Libbie B Libbie B on Feb 06, 2023

    I wrap them in plastic and they stay fresh!

  • GrandmasHouseDIY GrandmasHouseDIY on Feb 07, 2023

    A few people have mentioned this and I can attest that wrapping them up tightly with plastic wrap and then popping them in the freezer has always worked for me. After wrapping them up I always stick them in a big zip lock bag too.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Feb 07, 2023

    Place it into an airtight poly bag!

  • Mogie Mogie on Feb 12, 2023

    Just watched a video where a painter took his roller and laid it down on a piece of plastic wrap. He then rolled it forward and the plastic wrap automatically clung to and perfectly encased the wet roller.

  • Wrap the roller or paintbrush in a damp towel once you're done painting for the day. It should be placed in a plastic bag or wrapped in plastic before being placed in the refrigerator. Until you're ready to paint again, the roller or brush will remain clean.

  • Jamie Chapman Jamie Chapman on Mar 03, 2023

    If I plan to paint the next day I wrap the roller tightly in a plastic bag as recommended in comments above. I like the bread bags but any other bag works fine as long as it is snug against the roller. I set my paint tray in a trash bag, tuck it underneath the tray and twist it closed. Just make sure it's snug enough across the tray and not in the paint. I have never put my rollers in the fridge but have put my paint brushes in the freezer. Reynolds makes aluminum sheets in a pop-up box and they're perfect for the brushes. 25 per box at most grocery stores and I think I've seen them at Dollar General.


  • Allen7sin Allen7sin on Apr 10, 2023

    Cling wrap, plastic bag.

  • Libbie B Libbie B on Nov 29, 2023

    Zip lock bag in the fridge works for me!

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Nov 29, 2023

    I put mine in a plastic shopping bag in the fridge. Will stay a couple of days.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Nov 30, 2023

    Pop it into a polyethene bag and seal.

  • Mogie Mogie on Dec 01, 2023

    After you're done painting for the day, wrap the roller or paintbrush in a wet towel. Place it in a plastic bag or wrap it with plastic wrap, and then—here's the secret—put it in the fridge. The roller or brush will stay fresh until you're ready to paint again!