Apparatus and method for cleaning paint roller covers

The method of cleaning a cylindrical paint roller cover of the type having a surrounding outer annular layer of absorbent material and an axial tubular passage, which comprises the steps of:

• longitudinally confining the roller cover between outer and inner walls of an annular open ended longitudinally extending passage formed in a piston-like member;
• substantially filling a cylindrical container member having an open end with a cleaning liquid;
• inserting an end of the piston-like member into sealing piston-cylinder relation with the open end of the container;
• and
• thereafter manually axially moving one of said piston-like member and said container relative to the other in a direction to force cleaning liquid in the container through the annular layer of the cover.

In combination, cleaning apparatus and a paint roller cover of the type having a surrounding layer of absorbent material and an axial tubular passage, comprising:

• an elongate cylindrical insert means positioned within said passage and being operative to close one end of the passage;
• a cylindrical casing having open opposite ends and being dimensioned to receive the roller cover and assembled insert as a unit endwise through one of said open ends into a predetermined position with the casing wall being inwardly in surface engagement with the outer surface of the roller cover, and with said one end of the passage adjacent said one end of the casing;
• stop means removably mounted to the other open end of the casing to maintain the roller cover in said predetermined position;
• and
• means having a releasable connection with the casing wall at said one end of said casing for applying a pressurized cleaning liquid to said one end of the casing for guided flow through the surrounding layer of absorbent material of the cover and discharge from the other open end of the casing.