There are plenty of jobs that homeowners leave to the professionals, correctly believing that they don't have the know-how to complete the work correctly. Painting often falls outside this range, with many homeowners choosing to do this task on their own.

It's important to make the necessary preparations before painting, such as sanding and priming the surface. Once you start to apply the first coat, you'll naturally want to do a thorough job and avoid any frustrations. A few simple painting methods can help you paint like a pro.

Equipment

Preparing the equipment you will use can be especially useful. The magazine Family Handyman recommends wrapping a new roller in masking tape, then removing it to pull away any stray fuzz. This keeps the fuzz from creating a bumpy texture while painting.

Softening your paint brushes can prevent them from stiffening after use. Jamie Wiebe, writing for the National Association of Realtors' home improvement site HouseLogic, says you can rinse brushes and then shake them in a bowl of warm water mixed with half a cup of fabric softener. This process helps keep the bristles more flexible, and you won't even need to rinse them before getting to work.

Spring for a canvas drop cloth instead of a disposable plastic one. Rena Behar, writing for the National Association of Realtors, says canvas is less likely to bunch up and better able to keep paint from seeping through. This type of drop cloth can also be reused for as long as you care to keep it.

Wrapping paint trays with a plastic bag or aluminum foil can prolong their lifespan as well. These makeshift liners will still allow you to dip a roller into the paint. Once any remaining paint has dried, you can simply throw the liner away.

Another easy modification is to stretch a rubber band around a paint can after it is opened. Part of the band will run over the opening, giving you a convenient way to wipe excess paint off a brush. While paint wiped away on the edge will get stuck in the rim and make it more difficult to reseal the lid, paint wiped on the rubber band will drop back into the can and can be reused.

If the smell of fresh paint bothers you, you can add a more pleasant scent to the can. A teaspoon of vanilla extract, lavender oil, or citrus oil in a gallon of paint will help cut through the sharper odor.

Tape

Putting up painter's tape to keep an unwanted color from seeping onto trim or other surfaces is always useful. But sometimes a little finesse is required to get the most out of this material.

When applying painter's tape along a carpeted floor, press down on the carpet before applying the tape to the baseboard. Family Handyman recommends attaching the tape about a quarter-inch up from the bottom of the baseboard. While this leaves a small amount of baseboard which won't be painted, the carpet will rise back up and cover it after the tape is removed.

Make sure the tape is creating as tight a seal as possible. Running a putty knife or similar tool along the tape after it is applied can help ensure a firm grip on a surface.

Some materials work well as substitutes for painter's tape in awkward spaces. Behar says doorknobs and other fixtures can be wrapped in aluminum foil to avoid splatters. Wiebe says petroleum jelly can be applied to screws, hinges, and other small or hard to access areas.

Paint is more likely to seep past the tape or other barriers if you overload the brush. Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk, writing for This Old House, says you only need to dip the brush about one-and-a-half inches into the paint. Family Handyman says you can also minimize the chance of seepage by running the brush parallel to trim instead of at an angle.

Painter's tape can sometimes be a bit stubborn, and can even pull paint away if it has been kept in place too long. You can use a utility knife to gently cut along the tape to free it from the paint before removing it. Wiebe says a hair dryer turned to low can also help to loosen the adhesive so the tape can be easily pulled away.

Cleaning

Even if you're working carefully, a drop or two of paint might end up where you don't want it. Keep a rag handy to wipe up spills, and make sure a garbage bag is nearby as well. Wiebe says cotton swabs are good for cleaning up small blemishes.

Many paint jobs can't be finished in a single go, but you won't necessarily need to clean your brushes at the end of every day. Hurst-Wajszczuk says brushes and rollers can be sealed in plastic bags and kept overnight in the refrigerator. The cold temperature will keep them from drying out and becoming stiff; you simply need to let them acclimate to room temperature before reuse.

Once the job is completed, give the brushes and rollers a good cleaning. Family Handyman says a paint brush comb can help you give the brushes a more thorough rinsing, and storing it with the bristles straight up can avoid deformation. Clean and lube the roller to prevent it from binding up.