Before you even think about water, grab your trusty 5-in-1 painter’s tool (the scraper thing with the curved cutout). If you don’t own one, any old butter knife will do. Just don’t use the good silverware—your mom will know.
Hold the roller sleeve over the paint tray or an old bucket. Starting at the top, scrape the tool downward, squeezing out as much leftover paint as possible. It’s like giving your roller a gentle, non-judgmental massage that also saves your sanity.
Do this until you’re getting almost no paint coming out. The goal here is to keep that paint out of your sink, which will save you from a very grumpy plumber. Your drains will thank you.
