Take care of your roller after painting

Have you used a roller and are wondering what to do with it once you’ve finished painting? We know that many home owners feel unsure about this issue. Because a roller absorbs a lot of paint, it requires large volumes of water to get it properly clean, so it’s most sustainable to throw away your used roller and buy a new one for your next project.

    Together with the research institute RISE, we have investigated how to sustainably dispose of used painting tools. The survey showed us that 55%* of people wash their roller directly in the sink, risking that plastics, metals and other hazardous substances from paint end up directly in the drains. These types of dyes cannot be cleaned by wastewater treatment plants, which means that hazardous substances are released directly into the sea, where they have a harmful effect on the environment. Our research shows that the most sustainable way is to dispose of the roller after use. Below we describe how to proceed.

    *Source: RISE, 2021

    Roller som rullar in färg i ett färgtråg

    1. Scrape off the paint

    Use a roller scraper to get as much paint out of the roller as possible. By using a roller scraper, you can save up to 64% of the paint contained in the roller*, which is equivalent to about 1-2 m² of painting, depending on which roller you use. Paint you can reuse for other projects instead of throwing out!

    *Source: RISE, 2021 (Tested on rollers from Anza’s range)

    Hand som använder rollerskrapan för att skrapa bort färg från rollern tillbaka i färgburken

    2. Are you going to keep painting? Use plastic wrap!

    Should you continue to use the roller with the same colour? Make sure to wrap your roller tightly with plastic wrap or a plastic bag to keep it moist. Then you can use it again the next day. Once you’ve finished your roller, lay it on some paper towels or newspaper and let it dry completely.

    Hand som håller en inplastad roller
    Roller som ligger och torkar på tidningspapper

    3. Throw

    When you have finished painting with your roller and it has dried completely, throw it in the household waste.

    Tip!

    Do you also have brushes that need looking after? We show you how to wash and reuse them here: Take care of and clean your brushes
    Roller som slängs i en papperskorg