Internet's Painting Tips You Should Avoid At All Costs

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Social media is full of hacks, tips, and tricks for home improvement and DIY projects. There are some exceptional snippets of advice out there from people who have tested and confirmed their methods work, but many ideas also fall flat. If you've been scouring Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and other social media platforms for painting tips, there are a few tricks out there that should be second-guessed.

Below are eight internet painting tips to avoid. Whether they went viral or have a minuscule following, there are major caveats to the methods in these videos. Many are messy, put safety at risk, or simply aren't as effective as traditional painting methods. Whatever the case may be, their impracticality becomes obvious when put into action, and we have alternative ideas and strategies you should use.

One of the biggest TikTok painting hacks of the early 2020s tossed aside traditional painting supplies. Instead of using brushes, rollers, or sponges, people used old socks to paint. TikTokers would pull a sock over their dominant hand, dip it in paint, and slather banisters, furniture, walls, and other surfaces. HGTV's Jeremiah Brent says no to this popular paint hack, and you should heed his advice.

Dipping a hand sock in paint is a messy business; the paint is more likely to drip down your hands, wrists, and around the can and workspace. The woven material isn't good at retaining liquid, meaning you'll have to dip your hand in for more paint repeatedly. Painting with socks is more likely to leave streaks and lint behind. Some people claim using a sock is helpful for coloring narrow spots that brushes can't reach. However, others say that they still need a brush to reach the dips and grooves in more ornate surfaces. Another downside is that this method takes longer than using a traditional brush or sponge.

If you're dead set on attempting sock painting, wear a disposable latex glove under the sock hand to keep paint from seeping through the fabric and onto your skin. Also remember using a sock doesn't replace priming — surfaces still need to be sanded, repaired, and primed before the job begins. Although socks aren't the best primary tool, they can still be used to make painting easier. You could try putting this garment on your non-dominant hand, using it to wipe up any paint drips while using a traditional brush or roller. Some people also say that socks are great for an initial coat, or if you simply want a very thin, distressed look. For better absorbency, you can also consider picking up a purpose-built painting glove, such as the Trimaco SuperTuff Painter's Mitt – but beware that products like this can shed. For a seamless, pro-grade finish, definitely don't ditch traditional paint tools, which are designed to lay down paint in even layers. 

Some social media painting tricks don't go viral but get enough attention to garner a small following. A few years back, a TikToker posted a controversial video where they tucked a paper towel around the rim of their paint can. The purpose was to catch the paint that drips down the sides and runs into the rim while filling a paint tray. Despite the helpful intention, most commenters pointed out that this hack simply wastes more paint. Paper towels are made of wood fibers designed to absorb spills. It may keep the side of your paint can cleaner, but the fibers absorb far more paint than the plastic resin or tin a can is made of. This ultimately wastes paint to reduce an inconsequential mess — not many people care about paint stains on the side of a can that will be thrown away.

Instead of wasting paper towels and paint, there are plenty of other hacks to minimize messes while pouring paint. Pick up a FoamPRO Paint Can Pour Spout, which is only $1.38, reusable, and designed specifically for this purpose. If you aren't going to use the whole can of paint in one go, and plan to save leftovers for another coat or touch-ups later, a Shur-Line Pour and Store Can Attachment is only $1 more and has a dual purpose as a pour spout and replacement lid.

One of the biggest amateur painting struggles is making sure you're painting in straight, even lines, and not getting trim paint on walls and vice versa. Many social media influencers promote using paint shields, such as the Black+Decker 12-Inch Paint Shield Trim Guide. This affordable tool must be propped up with one hand as you paint over it, and the precision edge obstructs paint from falling beneath its boundaries. This hack has well-meaning intentions, but some people complain that paint still drips beneath the edge, especially on textured or uneven walls that have been painted many times before.

Instead of spending extra money on a niche paint shield tool, there are other ways to ensure your lines are precise. Press any straight-edged object against the wall, and it'll function in a similar way to a paint shield. Many TikTok commenters claim spare cardboard works just as well as a manufactured plastic paint guard. There are also simple cardboard tools for under $1, like the TRIMACO Cardboard Paint Spray Shield, which one reviewer says "worked well while using a paint brush. They are lightweight and easy to handle. The [other] option was too heavy (and expensive)." Alternatively, you can simply opt for good old painter's tape, like the SmaringRobot Premium Painters Tape, which is more flexible than cardboard or plastic. It's easy to affix against textured walls, and it sticks on its own, leaving both hands free for more convenient painting.

The laziest hacks aren't as always convenient as they seem. Over 7,000 people shared a TikTok where a young man wrapped a standard-size paint tray in a large garbage bag. The goal was to protect the paint tray so he could throw away the bag slathered in paint instead of washing the tray afterward. In practice, this hack saves you washing a paint tray, but the drawbacks may outweigh the benefits. It's a touch wasteful to use an entire garbage bag when only a small portion of it protects the tray from paint. It's also unwieldy since the bag is too big for the tray and billows with air as you wrap it. All that excess plastic is unwieldy, and it's easy to accidentally brush it up against one of the walls you're painting while moving the tray around. 

The most eco-conscious approach is to wash the paint tray without using any plastic liners, but during a lengthy renovation, convenience can take priority. Happily, there are many alternatives that don't use giant can liners. Reusable paint trays are a must for DIYers doing big projects, and the Repaint Studios The Repaint Tray is designed to preserve paint and add convenience without creating excess waste. An even simpler option is to follow the TikTok hack but to simply use a smaller bag. Save plastic bags the next time you go shopping, and use these to wrap your paint tray instead. They're lighter, have a much smaller volume, and enable you to reuse a typical one-use item. 

Another idea proposed by social media was repurposing a craft organizer as a paint palette that can be closed and saved for later. In all due fairness, this is a seemingly brilliant idea. The individual compartments are great for separating modest amounts of paint, making it easy to mix colors and find the same shades when working on colorful art projects. However, standard craft organizers aren't designed to hold liquids. They divide and organize tiny solid objects like beads, hardware, accessory charms, stationery embellishments, and other similar items. The lid is not airtight and the top and individual compartments aren't reliably sealed. There's no guarantee that paint stays wet or enclosed.

Instead of using any random craft organizer, use a paint palette organizer that has the same design and convenience but with a sealed lid. Paint-specific organizers aren't any more expensive than a standard craft storage bin, meaning it doesn't cost anything extra to make this hack more strategic. Try the Honbay 24 Compartments Plastic Paint Palette Paint Tray with Soft Lid or the Transon Paint Storage Palette Box, both of which are under $15 and more reliable for storing acrylic and oil paints.

There's many a paint stirring hack designed to make mixing paint more convenient, but some can make the process more complicated. While scouring the internet for painting hacks, you may come across a TikTok where a man cuts a clothing hanger, attaches it to a drill, and powers up the drill to make an automatic paint stirrer. While very satisfying to watch, it arguably takes longer for him to prepare the drill than it would to simply stir the paint using a traditional method.

A pack of 15 WISYOK Paint Stir Sticks is only $4.99 and doesn't require a clothing hanger, pliers, or a power drill. You simply dispose of the stick after you're done stirring, and there's minimal cleanup involved. You also have more control when stirring a paint can by hand. An automatic stirrer is much more likely to cause splashes.

There are numerous tips and tricks that make painting high ceilings and walls so much easier, including using a broom handle as an extension pole. But, you need to be careful when implementing this hack. One TikToker stuck their paint roller handle in the end slot of a plastic broom to create a long-handled roller for this purpose. This idea is clever but needs more work to be safe and secure. A roller isn't designed to fasten into place at the end of a broom, creating the risk of it snapping or falling and splattering paint everywhere. Another caveat is that not all broom handles have threaded ends, meaning there aren't any ridges to screw onto and help hold the handle in place.

If you want to make use of this hack but avoid any potential accidents, you can try using a wooden push broom handle while painting. Wood is a lot sturdier and less prone to snapping than a cheap plastic option. If you don't already own a wooden push broom, or the handle isn't threaded, you're better off buying a Linzer Wooden Extension Pole with Metal Tip, which is designed to paint tall ceilings and high walls, and cheaper than buying a large broom. — or opt for a telescoping version such as this Extend-a-Reach Paint Roller Extension Pole.

In a painting hack akin to the sock method, a TikToker uses microfiber dusting gloves to apply paint to a backyard fence. This hack has the same caveats as sock painting — it can be messy and inefficient since the glove absorbs paint and doesn't disperse it well. Depending on the condition of the fence and how rough the wood is, a microfiber glove might snag on any raised grain and leave lint behind.

This social media trick is also a safety risk. No one should use their hands to apply paint to a rough wood surface, since there's the risk of catching your skin on a splinter. The microfiber glove and latex glove beneath aren't thick enough to protect the painter's hand from rusty nails or loose wooden shards.

Like painting a fence with a sponge, this TikTok painting hack probably isn't worth your time. Using a traditional brush, paint roller, or paint sprayer is safer and more efficient. Save your microfiber dusting mitts for cleaning around the house, where they're more effective and long-lasting.