I know that it’s probably too late if you are reading this… but one way to keep paint from sticking to your hands, aside from using gloves, is to lightly moisturize your hands with petroleum jelly, a.k.a. Vaseline. Especially when you’re using oil paint, but also for latex and shellac (see below), the jelly provides a little barrier, making the cleaning a lot easier. Any kind of moisturizer helps if you don’t have Vaseline.
Latex paints and stains: (all water-based, including water-based alkyd, eg Ben Moore “Advance”)
The main thing here is to soak your hands with water and keep them wet for 15 minutes or so. Work on the biggest chunks with your fingernails first, and the dry latex will slowly absorb the water and will come off in short order. If this is your biggest problem, you’re pretty lucky. This is also how to get latex paint off any surface. Clothing will probably remain stained unless you got it to water right away.
Oil-based paints and stains:
Please don’t use turpentine or paint thinner to try to remove this from your hands or skin anywhere on your body. They are toxic, and they go directly into your bloodstream and make you stupid for life. Not only that, you also become stupid for life. Wait. What?
The best hand cleaner is a citrus-based cleaner that I never run out of. I bought the big jug, and I fill small jars with it and keep them with my normal tools. It’s a good cleaner for a variety of things that are oily as well. Like comedians.
If you don’t mind a little bit of toxicity, use the regular mechanics, hand cleaner, which does a really good job on oil-based goo, but then wash your hands with soap and water really well after that. You don’t need to wash after you use the citrus cleaner. Don’t have these? Try cooking or motor oil. Wash with soap after.
On floors, etc., use paint thinner but test in a spot to make sure you don’t harm it.
Alcohol-based paints/primers (shellacs)
This is the nastiest of the nasty. For this, use rubbing alcohol, which does not harm your health, and you don’t even have to wash your hands with soap when you’re done. Please don’t use acetone, which cleans much better, but goes into your bloodstream and gives you dame bramage and also brain damage. Maybe these days, a little brain damage isn’t so bad, but I say no thank you.
On floors, etc., use acetone or rubbing alcohol. Test in spots so you don’t ruin your floor.
Cutting the tips off any thin glove makes the best painting gloves. They are like having a rag always ready. I keep my gloves wet with water when working with latex. Yeah baby.
Questions?