# Painter's Whites & How to keep them looking White



## George Z (Apr 15, 2007)

Not your standard "Painters Whites vs Not" thread.

I gave two painters the job of collecting video footage at work.
They are, and eventually we should have some decent video content.

It was a night job in a clinic,
the painter's whites issue came up again and this is what happened:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl40JryVIWA


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

Both Carly and I have done this, we prefer using the sprayer, it comes out nice and even.


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## George Z (Apr 15, 2007)

cdpainting said:


> Both Carly and I have done this, we prefer using the sprayer, it comes out nice and even.


I wonder how fabric paint works


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

George Z said:


> I wonder how fabric paint works


I may have to give that a try next time we do wear our whites, which isn't to often.


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## Oden (Feb 8, 2012)

They used to back in the day soak em in lye. Supposedly kept em really white. Of course they were good pants. Not like this krap they are selling now. Mine rip out and are rags anymore before they get too dirty. Pockets first, knees than whole azz, doesn't take long either. Rags.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

I see a few issues with this method


*paint soaks through to skin
*pants become stiff and difficult to conform to body movements
*pants do not breathe anymore


It may be better to develop cleaner habits. Wiping a hand or finger off on one's pants is an easily to alter habit by carrying a rag in the *RAG LOOP*, which this lady does not practice.


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

Keeping my whites clean has been a recent self imposed challenge for me. Keeping a rag in each front pocket helps. Sometimes I tie rags around my thighs like homemade chaps. Never the less, I go through about a pair a week. Like Oden said, they're little more than rags to begin with.


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## George Z (Apr 15, 2007)

daArch said:


> I see a few issues with this method
> 
> 
> *paint soaks through to skin
> ...


Me too but I think they are attempting humour.


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## HelpfulPainter (Jan 31, 2015)

George Z said:


> Not your standard "Painters Whites vs Not" thread.
> 
> I gave two painters the job of collecting video footage at work.
> They are, and eventually we should have some decent video content.
> ...


LOL!!! Once that dries your going to have some stiff pants...


How many women do you have on your crew? Thats COOL! :thumbsup:


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## HelpfulPainter (Jan 31, 2015)

I don't worry about paint on my pants... Mine are worse than hers...


I wear out the pants until they have holes in the crotch then its time for new ones... One pair I had for 3 years! Then the crotch completely ripped in them after bending over while putting on painters stilts. :blink:


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

My mother inlaw's parents were painters. Every time she sees me coming home from work she starts shaking her head with disappointment and says "my parent's clothes never looked like that Bill! Your pants are covered!" She can't stop nagging at me to carry a rag in the loop.

I used to do that a long time ago, but we all know painters have to be like ninjas walking around trying not to touch things we're not supposed to be touching. I just found that a rag sticking off the side of my pants kept touching things and the risk of getting wet paint on something it's not supposed to be on was too high.

Basically, I figure wiping my hands off on the front of my pants is the best option because if the front of my pants are touching something in a customers home there's a larger more important issue that needs to be dealt with.


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## Oden (Feb 8, 2012)

3 years?
Ain't no way these are three months old. Got some extra time out of em. It's cold. Long johns under. Lol
They might be six to eight weeks old them pants. The duster/knife pocket goes, I move it to the other. It goes, then the whole azz goes.


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## HelpfulPainter (Jan 31, 2015)

Wildbill7145 said:


> My mother inlaw's parents were painters. Every time she sees me coming home from work she starts shaking her head with disappointment and says "my parent's clothes never looked like that Bill! Your pants are covered!" She can't stop nagging at me to carry a rag in the loop.
> 
> I used to do that a long time ago, but we all know painters have to be like ninjas walking around trying not to touch things we're not supposed to be touching. I just found that a rag sticking off the side of my pants kept touching things and the risk of getting wet paint on something it's not supposed to be on was too high.
> 
> Basically, I figure wiping my hands off on the front of my pants is the best option because if the front of my pants are touching something in a customers home there's a larger more important issue that needs to be dealt with.


I usually carry a rag in my back pocket... But I do that too wipe my hands off on my pants... Its a bad habit... But its quick.

I find the all the different colors of paint add to my credibility. I get comments from clients "Wow you must be busy." Or "I can tell you have been working hard."


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## HelpfulPainter (Jan 31, 2015)

Oden said:


> View attachment 37097
> 
> 
> 3 years?
> ...


Thats three months!!!!  

Your knife must be a samurai sword or a machete in your back pocket!


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## HelpfulPainter (Jan 31, 2015)

HelpfulPainter said:


> I usually carry a rag in my back pocket... But I do that too wipe my hands off on my pants... Its a bad habit... But its quick.
> 
> I find the all the different colors of paint add to my credibility. I get comments from clients "Wow you must be busy." Or "I can tell you have been working hard."


The back pocket usually goes out in mine aswell... but never that bad...


My pants seem to last me a long time... The first thing that usually goes is the crotch...


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

HelpfulPainter said:


> I usually carry a rag in my back pocket... But I do that too wipe my hands off on my pants... Its a bad habit... But its quick.
> 
> I find the all the different colors of paint add to my credibility. I get comments from clients "Wow you must be busy." Or "I can tell you have been working hard."


Exactly, it's quick. No time wasted trying to find a rag. Your pants are always right there! Hopefully.

My favourite comment is "did you get any on the walls?" Yeah, I've never heard that one before.... I usually respond "You get a prize for being the millionth person to ask me that.."


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## George Z (Apr 15, 2007)

Oden said:


> View attachment 37097
> 
> 
> 3 years?
> ...


These are the most used up pants I have ever seen. Do you tame tigers in your spare time or after work?


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## George Z (Apr 15, 2007)

HelpfulPainter said:


> LOL!!! Once that dries your going to have some stiff pants...
> 
> 
> How many women do you have on your crew? Thats COOL! :thumbsup:


It was flat Ultraspec too.
She said next time she will spray eggshell exterior or something a little elasticized.

6 women 4 men now


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## SemiproJohn (Jul 29, 2013)

I have found that the only way to keep painter's whites white is to not wear them to work. Seriously. I have an almost unconscious reflex to wipe my hands on the fronts. I tried the rag in the rag loop thing...just feels awkward. I do think that wearing a multi-colored palette around conveys a "busy" look and this outweighs the "sloppy" appearance.

Mine always wear out at the knees first. No jokes please.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

I wear khakis.


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## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

SemiproJohn said:


> I have found that the only way to keep painter's whites white is to not wear them to work. Seriously. I have an almost unconscious reflex to wipe my hands on the fronts. I tried the rag in the rag loop thing...just feels awkward. I do think that wearing a multi-colored palette around conveys a "busy" look and this outweighs the "sloppy" appearance.
> 
> Mine always wear out at the knees first. No jokes please.


I started out doing the same thing, always wiping my hands on my pants. But I broke the habit early on. Went to do a small touch up in my street clothes one day. Out of force of habit I wiped my hand on the front on my brand new Levies. That was the end of that habit right there. :yes:

I've done similar George. Occasionally I'll get a strong color on a new set of whites. Some white paint and a 1" brush and they are good as new. Never used a roller though.


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## Bender (Aug 10, 2008)

Uh, any of you guys ever try _not_ getting paint on your hands:whistling2:


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## HelpfulPainter (Jan 31, 2015)

Wildbill7145 said:


> Exactly, it's quick. No time wasted trying to find a rag. Your pants are always right there! Hopefully.
> 
> My favourite comment is "did you get any on the walls?" Yeah, I've never heard that one before.... I usually respond "You get a prize for being the millionth person to ask me that.."



I get that comment allot too...


But your comeback is smooth! I never know what too say when I get silly remarks. Im going to use that one you posted. 

"You get a prize for being the millionth person to ask me that.."

That's hilarious :thumbup:


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## HelpfulPainter (Jan 31, 2015)

Schmidt & Co. said:


> I started out doing the same thing, always wiping my hands on my pants. But I broke the habit early on. Went to do a small touch up in my street clothes one day. Out of force of habit I wiped my hand on the front on my brand new Levies. That was the end of that habit right there. :yes:
> 
> I've done similar George. Occasionally I'll get a strong color on a new set of whites. Some white paint and a 1" brush and they are good as new. Never used a roller though.


ARRRRHHH!!!!


I can never have nice clothes!!! I get paint on them all the time...

Im dressed nice... And I realize I left a paint can in the trunk... I go to take it out and bring it in the house and im driving away then look at my new jeans... AAHHH... I got paint on them! :blink:


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## HelpfulPainter (Jan 31, 2015)

George Z said:


> It was flat Ultraspec too.
> She said next time she will spray eggshell exterior or something a little elasticized.
> 
> 6 women 4 men now


LOL!!!


Or maybe just get new pants... :whistling2:



Anyways, how come you decided to get so many women on your crew and more then men? Just curious...


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## Pete Martin the Painter (Nov 8, 2012)

I had a guy that I had worked with (not painting) in the past imply that there was something wrong with my painting skills due to the amount of paint that I had on my clothes, and that in comparison when he painted his fence he barely got any paint on himself. I always thought he was an a$$ when I worked with him.


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## George Z (Apr 15, 2007)

HelpfulPainter said:


> LOL!!!
> 
> 
> Or maybe just get new pants... :whistling2:
> ...


Not intentionally. It was like that for years, since my wife started in the business. Also so and so has a friend that wants to get into the trade, etc


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## HelpfulPainter (Jan 31, 2015)

Pete the Painter said:


> I had a guy that I had worked with (not painting) in the past imply that there was something wrong with my painting skills due to the amount of paint that I had on my clothes, and that in comparison when he painted his fence he barely got any paint on himself. I always thought he was an a$$ when I worked with him.


he is an A**...


All it means that he doesn't work as hard as you...


You do more jobs than he does, period.


Let the haters... hate! :notworthy:


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## HelpfulPainter (Jan 31, 2015)

George Z said:


> Not intentionally. It was like that for years, since my wife started in the business. Also so and so has a friend that wants to get into the trade, etc


lol... My wife wouldn't let me hire women... she is hot headed... don't tell her I said that. :whistling2:


I got a resume from a women one time and she went off... "Don't hire a women, you need to hire a man... blah blah blah"

I think its for the best anyways since she doesn't get along with other women well...


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Bender said:


> Uh, any of you guys ever try _not_ getting paint on your hands:whistling2:


BINGO !!

That's the FIRST part of the solution. To us that was so basic, I forgot that's how we operated. The rag is for those times you have an ooops.

We used to go out of our way TRYING to get the other guy to get paint on his hands. We would find an unattended kit and put a dab of paint on the backside of the brush so when the other picked it up, "DAMN YOU". We learned never to blindly pick up a brush, scraper, or start climbing a ladder. 

And obviously, if you dropped a brush and another saw you and commented, you had to buy the crew a round of beers.

STAYING clean was all SOP.


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## George Z (Apr 15, 2007)

daArch said:


> BINGO !!
> 
> That's the FIRST part of the solution. To us that was so basic, I forgot that's how we operated. The rag is for those times you have an ooops.
> 
> ...


I remember the same about avoiding paint on my hands. The smell of thinners and the dry hands from turpentine use was my main motivation.


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## Bender (Aug 10, 2008)

daArch said:


> BINGO !!
> 
> That's the FIRST part of the solution. To us that was so basic, I forgot that's how we operated. The rag is for those times you have an ooops.
> 
> ...


We went to a trade show this past summer. Afterwards 2 of my guys came up and said, "Wow! There were some really scummy looking dudes there. We're kinda glad you make us wear (reasonably) clean whites."


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

Bender said:


> We went to a trade show this past summer. Afterwards 2 of my guys came up and said, "Wow! There were some really scummy looking dudes there. We're kinda glad you make us wear (reasonably) clean whites."


When we go to the BBQs at the paint shops around here, I understand why so many outfits struggle with landing high-end resi work. The average painter around here looks as sketchy as a pharmacist's mate on a Chinese gunboat.


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## TrueColors (Jul 30, 2010)

I like fresh clean pants but don't like to show up to jobs with crispy new whites... I like at least a couple days use on them. I try my best to keep them as clean as possible by having a rag with me.... After a couple of weeks the knife/duster pockets always rip at the seam so it's off to the store for a new pair. Probably go through 10 pairs a year depending on how hard I work.

Also new pants are horribly made, crappy stitching and cheap thin cotton. Part of the reason I don't like showing up to jobs with new pants they're practically transparent, I can see my underwear through them hahha


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

Bender said:


> Uh, any of you guys ever try _not_ getting paint on your hands:whistling2:


From Day One, we've all worn gloves. Most of the time, we wear the classic Clute-cut canvas painters' gloves, but we'll switch to Nitrile for stains, wipe-on finishes, solvent cleaning, etc.


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

daArch said:


> BINGO !!
> 
> That's the FIRST part of the solution. To us that was so basic, I forgot that's how we operated. The rag is for those times you have an ooops.
> 
> ...


My first construction job was structural and architectural caulking. The material was bulk 2 part urethane. Sticky, stringy and cleaned with toluene. It was not something you wanted to get on you. I picked it up pretty quick and thought I was good after a couple years. One day the owner put his gloves on to help bust out a job. I was filling guns for him and he was better and faster then any on the crew. He got 1 little smear on his glove after a days work. The rest of us had it on our gloves and pants daily. I asked him "How'd you stay so clean?" He gave a sly grin and said, "Once you learn how to caulk, you will too." 
I didn't stay in it long enough to get that good but it was a great lesson. Messy jobs can be done fast and clean.


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## Clearlycut (Dec 1, 2013)

Resadential is easy to keep clean sometimes. Spraying commercial forget it. Trashed.

Sent from my SM-G900P using PaintTalk.com mobile app


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## PaintersUnite (May 11, 2014)

daArch said:


> I see a few issues with this method
> 
> 
> *paint soaks through to skin
> ...


Exactly!

I keep a half dozen pairs of whites at a time. When they get a little worn and dirty, I replace them.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

George Z said:


> I remember the same about avoiding paint on my hands. The smell of thinners and the dry hands from turpentine use was my main motivation.



Obviously, one will always get _some_ paint on one's hands, especially exterior. And I too abhorred using solvents on my skin (gloves just never felt right - cloth ones too bulky, nitrate or latex too sweaty) . 

And this has been mentioned before: use cooking oil or mineral oil to clean your hands. I'd used DL on site but almost every night I'd come home and really go to town with whatever cooking oil we had. My hands did not get all dry with splits and destroyed cuticles.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

daArch said:


> Obviously, one will always get _some_ paint on one's hands, especially exterior. And I too abhorred using solvents on my skin (gloves just never felt right - cloth ones too bulky, nitrate or latex too sweaty) .
> 
> And this has been mentioned before: use cooking oil or mineral oil to clean your hands. I'd used DL on site but almost every night I'd come home and really go to town with whatever cooking oil we had. My hands did not get all dry with splits and destroyed cuticles.


Until a year or so ago, our go-to painting glove was the Wells-Lamont 49L. They had an elastic panel on the back of the hand, so they fit like a (insert appropriate simile here). We would order them by the dozen, several times a year, and I was sorely disappointed when they were discontinued.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Gough said:


> Until a year or so ago, our go-to painting glove was the Wells-Lamont 49L. They had an elastic panel on the back of the hand, so they fit like a (insert appropriate simile here). We would order them by the dozen, several times a year, and I was sorely disappointed when they were discontinued.


wishing to see what they were, I googled. 

Does this mean Amazon still has some?
http://www.amazon.com/Wells-Lamont-Canvas-Glove-Stretch/dp/B001GS3CLY

One of my best painting buddies uses well fitting cotton gloves and I have a pair of very thin ones for handling some wallpaper that is body-oil sensitive, but I doubt I could get use to brush & gloves for a full day. Gloves do not have the same tactile properties of skin, they slip, hands get tired and cramp. 

just spray some 3m 77 on the gloves fer chrise sakes


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

daArch said:


> wishing to see what they were, I googled.
> 
> Does this mean Amazon still has some?
> http://www.amazon.com/Wells-Lamont-Canvas-Glove-Stretch/dp/B001GS3CLY
> ...


One pair, $2.75+$4.99 shipping??? I'm generations removed from my frugal New England roots, but that still seems a tad steep.

At that price, I should see if I can sell off the unopened case of the "Smalls" that I have left from when we had more women on the crew.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Gough said:


> One pair, $2.75+$4.99 shipping??? I'm generations removed from my frugal New England roots, but that still seems a tad steep.
> 
> At that price, I should see if I can sell off the unopened case of the "Smalls" that I have left from when we had more women on the crew.


ooops, didn't see the shipping. sorry


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

daArch said:


> wishing to see what they were, I googled.
> 
> Does this mean Amazon still has some?
> http://www.amazon.com/Wells-Lamont-Canvas-Glove-Stretch/dp/B001GS3CLY
> ...


"Inspection gloves"? That what's we use for detailed hand sanding.


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## Krittterkare (Jul 12, 2013)

I absolutely hate painters pants and have not worn a pair in about 12 years at the risk of looking unprofessional. The last year I wore them I got about 6 pairs with different labels and all of them failed in some way very fast, 2 had the front pockets blow out, another the knee blew out and yet another the zipper and so on. 

I started wearing cargo type pants with big pockets and made of more durable material and wonder how the heck makers of paint pants think we need less pockets then the carpenter pants. I used to have to wear a bag around my waist to hold tools and most painter pants would barely hold a scraper in the scraper pocket.

I wanted to start a business making Painter Pants For Painters that can actually hold a few tools and perhaps they do now, last I saw one brand trumpeted on the label "Cellphone Pocket!" but a more durable material and more legroom and chemical resistant coveralls that also have pockets with a front pouch that are more durable then the disposable ones that rip so easy.

Anyway for me I do not feel the need to wear a uniform and was told that different trades were differnts colors to identify them on job sites, not sure if there is truth to that.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

Krittterkare said:


> I absolutely hate painters pants and have not worn a pair in about 12 years at the risk of looking unprofessional. The last year I wore them I got about 6 pairs with different labels and all of them failed in some way very fast, 2 had the front pockets blow out, another the knee blew out and yet another the zipper and so on.
> 
> I started wearing cargo type pants with big pockets and made of more durable material and wonder how the heck makers of paint pants think we need less pockets then the carpenter pants. I used to have to wear a bag around my waist to hold tools and most painter pants would barely hold a scraper in the scraper pocket.
> 
> ...


I don't know if you're referring to Armed Workwear painter's pants, but we've certainly been happy with them. The material is substantially heavier than the usual. The company had some early issues with sizing, but that seems to have been rectified.

http://www.armedworkwear.com/products/product/white-work-pants.php?add_cart_now


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## MSJ Painting (Jan 27, 2013)

I wipe my hands in my armpits. Hides way better than on the front of your pants


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

I started using these gloves 2 years ago after a friend gave me a couple pairs.
http://www.amazon.com/ATG-34-874-MaxiFlex-Ultimate-Micro-Foam/dp/B00D3DJWHI

They are breathable and allow for dexterity. My crew of 3 used 3 dozen last year. So they hold up pretty well. The thing that beats them up is low grit sandpaper. Paint won't pass through easy but water will.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

I was thinking about this as I was brushing my teeth last night eek: :confused1: )

How about THIN cotton gloves with a latex glove over. Cotton to absorb the sweat and latex to give some great grip of the brush ?? The latex are so cheap, you can burn through a couple of pairs a day. 

Too complicated ???


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

I honestly don't think I could ever wear gloves for an entire day while painting. It would drive me insane. Coupled with the fact that I know I'd tear them every 5 minutes which would drive me even further over the edge.

A couple of years ago I was joking around with a GC about some construction adhesive he'd gotten on his hands. He started making comments about my hands being covered in paint. Then he starts wondering about how much of this stuff we get all over ourselves every day makes it into our bodies through absorption through our skin.

Things got quiet at that point. This can be such a hazardous trade in more ways than you can imagine or want to even think about.


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## Repaintpro (Oct 2, 2012)

I stopped buying white whites for the boys and made these instead. They looked really cool when I made them but something was missing...........

Oh yer...........they were not white!


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## Krittterkare (Jul 12, 2013)

Gough said:


> I don't know if you're referring to Armed Workwear painter's pants, but we've certainly been happy with them. The material is substantially heavier than the usual. The company had some early issues with sizing, but that seems to have been rectified.
> 
> http://www.armedworkwear.com/products/product/white-work-pants.php?add_cart_now


OK those I could use with the knee pads and all. I was referring to Dickies, Kwall, Sherwin, Devoe and others that sell painter whites, and the shorts, the shorts that do not cover the knees and I see armedworkwear shorts that actually cover and protect the knees. 

Back to the OP, I once went to a cafe for lunch with my GF in my work clothes and the table server, a guy who looked like he had been around the block a few times a black man with a Southern accent about 60 years old after taking our order he turned back around and looked at my shirt with about 30 different colors for a few seconds and said "well well you earned those colors" 

I cringed watching this video knowing in my early days of painting wiping caulking on my pants and how they felt and looked with many mils of caulking on them and using my pants as a rag to wipe my hands, the person in the video had experienced looking pants and ruined them.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

HelpfulPainter said:


> The back pocket usually goes out in mine aswell... but never that bad...
> 
> 
> My pants seem to last me a long time... The first thing that usually goes is the crotch...[/QUOTE]
> ...


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## DrakeB (Jun 6, 2011)

George Z said:


> Not your standard "Painters Whites vs Not" thread.
> 
> I gave two painters the job of collecting video footage at work.
> They are, and eventually we should have some decent video content.
> ...


Those aren't unhappy alcoholics, they can't be painters! :whistling2:

Jesting. Please don't hate/hurt me!


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## HelpfulPainter (Jan 31, 2015)

chrisn said:


> HelpfulPainter said:
> 
> 
> > The back pocket usually goes out in mine aswell... but never that bad...
> ...


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## HelpfulPainter (Jan 31, 2015)

Woodford said:


> Those aren't unhappy alcoholics, they can't be painters! :whistling2:
> 
> Jesting. Please don't hate/hurt me!


Actually,


When I meet a Painter They are usually clean cut and presentable.


Roofers are another story...


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

HelpfulPainter said:


> chrisn said:
> 
> 
> > LOL!
> ...


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## DrakeB (Jun 6, 2011)

Gough said:


> Aren't the stilts illegal up there?


He's not a painter, he's a circus performer. The paint is part of the act.

Don't anyone make a joke about clowns.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

I was thinking of some of the other provinces that outlawed stilts for a time.


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