Condition a New Roller
Tape off the loose lint, then dampen and spin the cover so the nap lays a full, even film from the first stroke.
De-Fuzz a New Paint Roller With a Strip of Wide Tape
One of 2 takes on De-Fuzzing a New Roller
The Problem
A brand-new roller cover is full of loose fibers left over from manufacturing. Dip it straight in the tray and those fibers let go mid-wall, leaving fuzz embedded in your fresh coat. On a smooth finish they're exactly the kind of specks you notice every time the light rakes across the wall.
The Technique
Strip the loose fuzz off before the roller ever touches paint:
- Pull two or three feet of tape off a roll of duct tape and hold the roll between your legs, sticky side facing out, so the strip hangs taut.
- With the cover mounted on its frame, roll it up and down the sticky side of the tape a few times.
- Check the tape — it will be coated in fuzz that would otherwise have ended up in your paint.
Packing tape or masking tape work too. What matters is that the tape is wide, so each pass covers a good portion of the nap.
Pro tip: The same pass works on inexpensive throwaway brushes, which shed loose bristles the same way a new cover sheds fuzz. Press the bristles onto the tape a few times before the first dip.
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