We spent five days watching Chris and Lexi Dowding, of Michigan-based SwatchOut, paint an entire kitchen. They worked like total pros because, well, they are pros. They were neat, efficient, and full of brilliant ideas to make any painting job easier — which we spotted and gathered together in this handy post.

Whether your next painting job is tackling your kitchen cabinets or you just want to add color to an old kitchen table, you're going to want to steal these extra-smart tips.

1. Defuzz your roller.

Before you even think about dipping your roller (new or old) into the paint, you really should defuzz it. Lexi simply wraps masking tape around the roller, gives the whole thing a few good squeezes, and then pulls the tape off. The sticky part of the tape will pull off any fuzz that could otherwise end up in your painted surfaces. Repeat as many times as necessary.

2. Line your paint tray.

Sometimes the messiest part of painting is the cleanup. Try using a plastic bag to line your paint tray. If you're using a smaller paint holder (like the one above), put the bag in place and go around the rim with some masking tape. Then, you can roll the excess parts of the bag up under the tape and the whole thing will stay nice and secure as you work. When you're done, just unroll the bag and toss it. (Pour any leftover paint back into your can first.)

3. Poke dribble holes in the can.

Once the lid is off the can — but before you've poured any paint — poke two holes in the can's rim (the top part where paint usually pools). Put a flathead screwdriver into place and use a hammer to push through the can. Two holes should be good. This way, when you're done pouring the paint into your tray, the extra stuff can drip through the holes and back into the can.

Do you have any great painting tips to make the job easier? Share them in the comments!