How To Store Away Leftover Drywall Joint Compound

The job is all done and you have 1/2 can of joint compound left. What do you do with this compound? You can reuse drywall joint compound (mud) at a later time if you store it away properly. You simply need to scrape down the sides inside the bucket good and wipe the inside down with a damp cloth. Get all the compound to the bottom and level it out. Then, place a piece of plastic over the top (as shown below) and seal the lid back on tightly and use a permanent marker to label the bucket with the date. If you don't clean off the inside surfaces, the mud will dry and the chunks will fall into the compound, making it unusable.

The sides are clean and the plastic will help the mud to not dry out.