FreeToForgetEVERYDAY DETAILS
Keep a paint colour record for every room.
Save the colour, product and finish while the label is still in front of you, so you have a useful starting point when you need it again.
We make FreeToForget, an iPhone app for saving small factual memories. You can use this record in a notebook, an ordinary note or FreeToForget.
Start with the room and the surface.
“Bedroom white” leaves a few questions unanswered. Is it the wall paint, the ceiling or the door frame? Give each record a title you would recognise later, such as “Front bedroom walls” or “Hallway skirting boards”. If the walls and trim use different products, keep separate records.
This is a record of what was actually used. Keep a colour you are considering in a separate note labelled “planned”, so a sample does not become confused with the finished room.
What to write down.
- Room and surface: the specific area the paint was used on.
- Brand and product: copy the product name from the tin or invoice.
- Colour name and code: keep both if the label provides them.
- Finish or sheen: use the wording on the product, rather than guessing from how the wall looks.
- When it was painted: the month and year, or “date unknown”.
- Where the evidence is: the label photo, invoice, sample card or leftover tin.
For a custom tint, keep a legible copy of the mixing label as well. A useful description of where that label is stored is better than a record that only says “see photo”.
A simple paint record template.
Copy these headings into whichever place you already use for household details. Leave unknown fields marked as unknown until you can check them.
Room: Surface: Paint brand: Product name: Colour name: Colour code or tint label: Finish / sheen: Painted in: Label or invoice saved in: Leftover tin or sample stored in:
For the storage line, use a description you could follow: “Utility cupboard, bottom shelf, box labelled decorating”. If you move the tin or sample, update that line.
Save the label, not just a photo of the wall.
A room photo can help you recognise the space, but it is not the same as the manufacturer’s colour information. Glidden recommends recording paint choices and finishes, and notes that colours displayed on a monitor can differ from the actual paint. Keep the written label details alongside any room photo.
Before you put the paperwork away, check that the text is readable and the record identifies the right room. Ask your painter or supplier for the product details if they are missing; avoid filling the gaps from memory.
Using FreeToForget for the record.
Type the details as a memory, review them and tap Remember this. Later, search for a room name or a word such as “paint”. Keep the wording specific enough to distinguish that room’s walls from its trim.
The free version supports up to five memories. Premium adds unlimited memories and photo attachments, so a photo of the paint label can stay with the written details. Memories are stored locally on your iPhone and do not sync through iCloud. You can also keep a separate readable text copy using the app’s CSV export; attached photos are not included in that export.
A record is a reference, not a guaranteed match.
Knowing the original product is useful information for your paint supplier, but it does not guarantee an invisible repair. Dulux explains that colour, gloss and surface texture differences can make touch-ups visible. Check the product instructions or ask the supplier before starting a repair.
When a room is repainted, mark the old record as previous and save the new details. That keeps a search result from quietly pointing you to the paint used several years earlier.
Keep the label details close.
Save one room’s paint record in FreeToForget, then find it by searching your saved memories.
Five memories free. Optional one-time Premium upgrade. Requires iOS 26 or later.