How To Dry Spray Paint Faster: 9 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Dry Spray Paint Faster PDF download Download Article Co-authored by James Guth

Last Updated: March 10, 2025

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  • Coating the Paint with Furniture Polish
    • |
  • Speeding up Dry Time
    • |
  • Q&A
    • |
  • Warnings
|Show more |Show less X

This article was co-authored by James Guth. James Guth is the co-owner and founder of Chesapeake Painting Services LLC. With over 20 years of experience, James specializes in exterior and interior painting, drywall, powerwashing, wallpaper, staining, sealing, and carpentry. James holds a BS in Economics and Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Towson University This article has been viewed 114,979 times.

It can be so frustrating to finish spray painting a project and then not be able to put it together because it's still wet! You can coat your project with a wax-based furniture polish to seal the paint and make it dry. You can also use an old toaster oven to bake the paint and speed the drying process. If you don't have access to furniture polish or a toaster oven, you can change the environment where the paint is drying to get the paint to dry faster.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 2:

Coating the Paint with Furniture Polish

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  1. Step 1 Spray paint your object and then let dry for 5 minutes. 1 Spray paint your object and then let dry for 5 minutes. You can use any type of spray paint. Coat your object in paint in the patterns or colors that you want. You can layer paint as well, depending on the design you want.[1]
    • If you're spray-painting wood, you might need more than one coat.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Dry Spray Paint Faster 2 Coat the object with wax-based furniture polish. Letting the paint dry slightly will prevent the furniture polish from streaking your paint. Hold the can of furniture polish a few inches (7 or 8 cm) from the object. Spray the entire area that's been spray-painted with the polish. If you have areas that have multiple layers of paint, let the first layer of polish dry and then spray again.[2]
    • You can use a wax-based furniture polish, as long as it's in spray form.
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Dry Spray Paint Faster 3 Wipe off the excess furniture polish after you spray the object. Use a soft, clean rag to gently wipe the area you sprayed with furniture polish. Be careful not to apply too much pressure. It won't take your spray paint off, but it might remove a lot of the polish and leave wet paint exposed.[3]
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Dry Spray Paint Faster 4 Test the object to make sure it's dry. Your object should be dry pretty much immediately after you coat it with furniture polish. Using the pad of your pinky finger, gently pat your object. If your finger comes away clean and dry, you're all set.
    • If your finger doesn't come away dry, let it sit for about 5 minutes.
    • You'll leave the furniture polish on the object permanently - it acts as a sealant. It shouldn't create a film on your object, but it might look matte, rather than shiny.
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Method 2 Method 2 of 2:

Speeding up Dry Time

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Dry Spray Paint Faster 1 Apply a thin coat of paint. The less paint that's on the object you're painting, the more quickly it will dry. Use as thin a layer of paint as you can when you're painting. If you don't get enough coverage from one thin layer, let the first one dry and then apply a second.
  2. Step 2 Run a heater near the object. 2 Run a heater near the object. The higher the temperature in the room where you're painting, the more quickly the paint will dry. You can turn up the heat in your house or use a small space heater. Set up the space heater so it's pointing at the object you spray painted.
    • Running a heater won't necessarily reduce the dry time by a lot, but it should shave off a couple of hours (it normally takes spray paint about 24 hours to dry).
  3. Step 3 Decrease humidity. 3 Decrease humidity. If you're painting inside and it's humid outside, make sure the windows where your objects are drying are closed. You should also avoid letting spray-painted objects dry outside if it's humid. Bring them inside to a cool, dry room.
    • You can run a dehumidifier in the room where your paint is drying.
  4. Step 4 Paint outside at the beginning of a warm, dry day. 4 Paint outside at the beginning of a warm, dry day. If you're doing a lot of painting and need to be outside, plan your day of painting carefully. Plan to paint on a warm, dry day, and begin first thing in the morning. That gives you the most time to take advantage of the weather to dry your paint more quickly.[4]
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Dry Spray Paint Faster 5 Circulate air by turning on a fan. Circulating the air where your paint is drying will increase the rate of evaporation for the water in the paint. Turn on ceiling or floor fans to a medium speed in the room where your paint is drying.
    • Make sure the room is clean before you turn the fan on. If there's a lot of dust, dirt, or other debris in the room, the fan might kick it up and it can end up sticking in your paint.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question The object I just painted, if I put it in the freezer, will that help dry it? Community Answer Community Answer No, it absolutely won't. It might freeze the paint and ruin the object. I don't recommend doing that. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 4 Helpful 16
  • Question I painted a door with enamel paint, which is still tacky. What can I do to make it dry? Sylghouls Sylghouls Top Answerer You can speed up drying time by decreasing humidity and raising temperature. If it's an indoors door, turn up the thermostat and hook up a box fan aimed at the wet paint--not close enough that the movement of the air will move the paint, just close enough to increase circulation--and it should dry more quickly. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 9 Helpful 2
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Warnings

  • Do not use your regular oven to dry spray paint. As the paint dries it releases chemicals into the air. These chemicals can adhere to the inside of your oven, only to be released again the next time you make food in the oven. Have a toaster oven that you use only for drying paint. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.creeklinehouse.com/how-to-get-your-spray-paint-projects-to-dry-almost-instantly/
  2. ↑ https://www.creeklinehouse.com/how-to-get-your-spray-paint-projects-to-dry-almost-instantly/
  3. ↑ https://www.creeklinehouse.com/how-to-get-your-spray-paint-projects-to-dry-almost-instantly/
  4. ↑ https://www.hunker.com/12001262/how-to-speed-the-drying-of-enamel-paint

About This Article

James Guth Co-authored by: James Guth Painting Specialist This article was co-authored by James Guth. James Guth is the co-owner and founder of Chesapeake Painting Services LLC. With over 20 years of experience, James specializes in exterior and interior painting, drywall, powerwashing, wallpaper, staining, sealing, and carpentry. James holds a BS in Economics and Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Towson University This article has been viewed 114,979 times. 53 votes - 80% Co-authors: 6 Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 114,979 Categories: Spray Painting Article SummaryX

If you want to dry spray paint more quickly, try coating it with furniture polish. After you've painted your design, wait 5 minutes for it to dry. Then, spray a coat of waxed-based polish over it. Your paintwork should dry almost immediately after you do this. Alternatively, run a space heater near the object you’ve painted. The additional heat will help the paint dry quicker. You can also try painting outside at the beginning of a warm, dry day, since the humidity will be low. If you have to paint inside, try running a dehumidifier in the room, which will remove dampness from the air and speed up the drying process. For tips on how to test if your paint is dry, keep reading! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. James Guth Co-authored by: James Guth Painting Specialist Co-authors: 6 Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 114,979 80% of readers found this article helpful. 53 votes - 80% Click a star to add your vote

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