What to wear for a day of painting the walls
Short answer: When you are painting the walls, it makes sense to wear clothes that can get stained and to keep them separate from the rest of your wardrobe. Cover your skin and hair, have a change of clothes ready, and wash your painting clothes separately afterwards.
Choose clothes you can sacrifice
Paint, especially emulsion and gloss, can be hard to remove completely from textiles. So choose old clothes you will not miss if they get marked. A worn T-shirt, an old pair of trousers and socks you were going to throw out anyway are ideal. Avoid your nice loungewear and sleepwear, even if they are comfortable. A boiler suit or a disposable paper overall is even better if you are painting the ceiling, as that is where most splashes land.
Protect skin, hair and eyes
Long sleeves and long trousers protect against splashes, particularly when you paint ceilings. A cap or a scarf keeps paint out of your hair. Glasses protect your eyes from drips off the roller. Wear gloves when cleaning brushes, and keep the room well ventilated while you work. If you get paint in your eyes, rinse thoroughly with water, and contact your doctor or an out of hours service if it keeps stinging after rinsing.
Movement and warmth
Painting is physical work with lots of arm movement and steps up and down a ladder. Your clothes need to give you room to stretch your arms above your head without riding up over your stomach. It can get warm, so layers are a good idea. During breaks a thinner top can feel pleasant. If you can, keep a soft set of loungewear ready for breaks in a room that is not being painted, so it stays clean throughout the day.
Changing after the work
When the day is done, take off your painting clothes in the hall or bathroom so you do not spread paint through the rest of the home. A warm shower removes the small splashes on your skin, and a large, soft towel makes the change pleasant. Bamboo towels are easy to take into the bathroom and dry quickly afterwards. Use an older towel if there is still paint on your hands, so your good towels stay clean.
Loungewear for the evening
After a long day on the ladder it is good to change into something soft and clean. A bamboo jogging suit for women is loose and gives tired shoulders and arms room to relax. Under a jogging top, a light bamboo night top for women can be a good first layer if you want to go straight to bed later. Keep these clothes well away from the room with wet paint so they stay clean.
Washing painting clothes
Wash your painting clothes on their own rather than with other laundry, so any loose residue does not transfer. Wet water based paint can often be rinsed out with cold water if you act quickly. Dried paint stays put and can rarely be removed completely. Keep the clothes as painting clothes from now on and store them in a bag for the next project. Always read the instructions on the paint tin for cleaning brushes and rollers.
Frequently asked questions
Can paint be removed from clothes
Wet water based paint can often be rinsed out with cold water. Dried paint usually stays.
What should you wear when painting ceilings
Long sleeves, a cap or scarf and glasses. Ceilings cause the most splashes.
Should painting clothes be washed separately
Yes, so any residue does not transfer onto other clothing.
You can find the full range at Bamboo-Clothing.com.
