When it comes to sprucing up your home, the smallest item can make the biggest difference. 

By Megan Johnson | August 4, 2021

Kate Ziegler, a Realtor with Arborview Realty in Boston and Coldwell Banker Lifestyles in New London, New Hampshire, swears by a $3 brush comb she grabbed at Home Depot.

“A brush comb helps make cleaning paint brushes less of a chore, so you won’t be as tempted to buy the cheap ones and treat them as single use,” Ziegler says. “They realign bristles and prevent paint buildup at the core, and it’s small money to help your tools last.”

Ziegler says brush combs make cleanup a breeze, and help your other painting tools last longer.

“It’s a very small investment for a very big impact,” she says. “Use it to break up the paint drying on the brush toward the handle, and to detangle and realign bristles so they last longer and paint.”

Ziegler also suggests the Handy Cup, a container that holds up to a pint of paint or stain.

“It seems like a classic end cap up-sell, but it’s worth it! The handle makes it easier to hold a small amount of paint as you move around your home or up and down a ladder, and a magnet in the side holds your brush when you need a free hand, and doesn’t let it drown in the paint,” Ziegler says. “For latex paint, you can wash these out with standard dish soap and warm water.”

Continue to Apartment Therapy for a few other favorite, low-price painting pro-tips.