The usual process of dipping your brush, applying strokes and worrying about messy drips can make painting a feel like a major chore. But according to a viral TikTok video, there's a surprisingly easy solution that could deliver a smooth, even finish with minimal effort.

It turns out, you can ditch the brush entirely for a much easier and quicker tool - and it's all thanks to one simple household item that will revolutionise your fencing projects. But what is it?

The answer? A sponge. One garden enthusiast swears by it; even going so far to upload a video to the internet to showcase how handy the sponge can be.

Instead of painstakingly brushing paint onto every panel, a sponge seemingly allows you to effortlessly apply an even layer of paint in a fraction of the time.

The sponge lets you cover large areas quickly and evenly, without the annoying streaks or drips that brushes often leave behind.

It's an easy way to get full coverage, it seems, especially for those who are painting a larger fence or want to reduce the risk of uneven paint spots.

Underneath the video, the content creator - named Vanessa - said the fence-painting hack is "easier and quicker" than using a paint brush or spray.

She captioned the video: "I have tried a sprayer, brush and now a sponge and, for me, the sponge is much easier and quicker. I wish I used it last year when I painted all 20 fence panels black."

But which kind of sponge did Vanessa use? She revealed that it was "some cheap car sponges".

She added: "It goes much further than with a brush; it gets in all the nooks and crannies - and it doesn't hurt my hand!"

One commentator who tried out Vanessa's hack said it was a "genius" method that worked for them.

In support, another wrote that they "did this on [their] shed" and it only took "an hour to do the whole thing with a sponge".

Another mentioned that their wooden garden fence, unfortunately, "ripped the sponge to bits".

And somebody else said that the sponge method for them "did not work at all" and that the sponge "just soaked up all the paint and barely transferred to the fence".

It may be one of those hacks that work for some people and not for others... the only way to find out is to try it for yourself.