Today's the day of the "big mistake" of 1948 -- when the Chicago Tribune headline blared "Dewey defeats Truman." We all know this didn't really happen. It was a mistake of colossal proportions and a huge mess, which the Trib quickly scrambled to clean up. Mistakes of all kinds happen, especially when you're painting. Things like spills, drips and slips (much like the Dewey dilemma) are easy to fix if you act quickly. Latex paint cleans up easily with water. And you should always keep a damp rag handy to clean as you go. Oil-based or alkyd paints require mineral spirits for cleanup. When you're through painting, air-dry your rags and dispose of them in a safe manner. The rags should be put into an area that does not allow combustible fumes to accumulate and present a fire hazard. Finally, don't think that water-based paints can be cleaned up with water when dry. You're too late. You'll need products specially formulated to clean up dried paints -- so move quickly. And that's the On The House tip for today.