Jammed tight?

Most of us will have tins or jars of paint that we’ve had for ages, on which the lid or cap will be stuck fast because of dried paint inside the lid. The usual solution is to lever the lid off with a screwdriver, or to try to loosen the cap in a pair of mole grips. In the worst case scenario, you’d just buy new paint. But that’s a bit like using a hammer to crack a nut. What we need to do is loosen the dry paint. Apply a small amount of thinners or Deluxe Materials Paint Magic with a brush around the lid, or turn the bottle upside down and use a brush to feed the liquid into the cap. Leave it for a few minutes to soften the paint and you should now be able to carefully remove the lid or cap. Now take a piece of kitchen towel and clean all the softened paint from the lid and rim of the tin, or the inside of the cap and bottle top. This will stop any lumps getting into your paint and should prevent it from happening again.