Either use the brush to paint on a piece of paper, back and forth (make X’s), or take a clean cloth and wipe out the oil and paint. Repeat steps 3 through 5 until most of the paint. A good cleaning solution should be both thorough and gentle, properly removing all pigment from your brush’s bristles and leaving them soft and restored, ready to be used again. To help you choose. Clean the Brush With Solvent Clean the brush with the appropriate solvent for the type of paint you’ve been using. If you used oil-based paint, clean the brushes with mineral. Cleaning your paintbrushes & rollers: Fill a bucket with warm water, add 1 cup fabric softener, toss in your paint brushes & rollers, and let them soak 10 minutes.
Paint Brush Cleaning Agent
Follow these simple steps to properly clean paint brushes after your next do-it-yourself project.
Photo: istockphoto.com
An investment in high-quality paint brushes is wasted if they are not properly cleaned and stored after use. Indeed, rushing through the end of a paint job can leave you with flecks of paint in your brushes—which will lead to an imperfect finish on your next project—as well as misshapen bristles. So invest the extra two minutes it takes to do the job right and follow this guide on how to clean paint brushes.
MATERIALS AND TOOLS Available on Amazon
– Newspapers
– Mineral spirits
– Turpentine
– Mild liquid dish soap
– Small plastic buckets
– Paint brush and roller spinner
– Rags
The Right Way to Clean Paint Brushes
Photo: istockphoto.com
- Use up what paint remains on your brush on whatever you are painting.
Press the bristles against the inside of the paint can, and lift it up and out as you do—that will squeeze out more paint. Paint away the rest on newspapers, because cleaning a brush is made easier if you remove as much of the paint from its bristles as possible. - Next, examine the can of paint, and use the appropriate solvent.
The right solvent makes the job easy by loosening dried paint, but the wrong one will probably be no help at all. Fill a small bucket with one of the following depending on the type of paint you’ve used:- Mineral spirits or turpentine to remove oil-based paint
- Hot water and mild liquid dish soap to clean paint brushes that have been used to apply latex paint
- Immerse the paint brush in the solvent.
Stir the solvent with the brush for about 10 seconds, wiping and squeezing the bristles on the sides of the container. Work the bristles between your fingers, and run a brush comb through them to remove excess paint without damaging the bristles. If some of the paint has begun to dry on the brush, soaking the brush may be necessary. - Wash it in warm soapy water in a utility sink or bucket.
Once the paint has been removed from the brush, warm soapy water will clean the brush of the solvent and remaining paint. - Shake or spin the paintbrushes dry.
Before you store your paint brushes, you’ll want to remove all of the water from their bristles. Many DIYers will do so by shaking the brush at the top of a bucket and then blotting the brush dry with a clean rag or newspaper.But, for those that have plans to do a lot of painting and wish to preserve their tools, a brush and roller spinner will come in handy. This dual-purpose tool will speed-dry either type of paint applicators using centrifugal force. Just attach a paint brush to the bottom of the tool, then pump the top several times to spin it and fling all water off the business end of the brush.
- When storing paint brushes, hang them up or lay them flat.
Hanging paint tools from a pegboard in your workshop or craft room is not only a great organizational method, but it ensures that the brush’s bristles don’t get bent out of shape stuffed in a bin somewhere. Replace the packaging on your paint brush to maintain its form and prolong its useful lifespan.
Photo: istockphoto.com
We’re editing the videos in our Advanced Master Class for a launch later this year. We came across a great tip Tom shared that was too good not to share with you.
As you know, we no longer use dangerous thinners or harmful solvents in any of our products. So how do we clean our brushes?
Well, we have a solution that is completely non-toxic. In fact, you can buy everything you need at your local grocery store. (Try that with some of the stuff that artists use to clean their brushes today!)
The solution is an excellent way to clean your brushes both during painting and, of course, at the end of a day of painting.
There are times, though, when you need to clean your brushes in a hurry while you’re painting.
The tip in today’s video clip is one such method.
All you need is a drop of oil and a paper towel. You will be amazed how easy this tip works.
This tip, by the way, is only one of many Tom will teach you in Alexander Art’s Master Class art course.
We expect to launch the Advanced Master Class in the Fall or early Winter. Master Class will include over twenty-seven hours of video instruction. Alexander Master Artist Tom Anderson is your teacher.
Tom will guide you on an incredible art journey in only fifteen paintings. Our mentors will give you constructive feedback while you are learning. Our goal is to help you succeed every step of the way.
If you’d like to learn the Alexander Method™ at the deepest possible level, Master Class is for you. We show you the secrets Bill learned from the Old Masters. Secrets he just didn’t have time to explain on his twenty-eight-minute television show.
Paint Brush Cleaning Box
Master Class will teach you, step-by-step, the skills you need to become the artist you’ve always wanted to be.