Paintbrushes

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How to Clean Them

As any amateur or professional artist knows, paintbrushes become dirty. Plus, they can be expensive to replace which is why it’s important to know how to properly clean and care for paintbrushes. A brush that’s stored in an unclean state can become nonfunctional, meaning it’s going to take money out of your pocket to replace it. There are ways to clean a paintbrush and prolong its life.

If you’ve just used a water-based paint or finish, cleaning is simple. Remove as much paint from your paintbrush as possible by running it under warm water in the sink. Use your hands to lightly massage the bristles as the water hits them. Next, fill a bowl with warm, soapy water and move your brushes gently through the water while lightly squeezing the bristles. Repeat the rinse process under warm tap water. Lightly separate the bristles using a brush comb after rinsing. Lay your brushes on a paper towel to dry thoroughly before storing them.

If you used an oil-based paint, paintbrush cleaning requires a little more work. First, remove as much paint as possible from the brush by gently rubbing it against the side of the paint can or wiping the brush with a clean paper towel. You’ll need a paint solvent to remove oil-based paint from your brush. In most cases, mineral spirits will work well for this purpose. Fill a bowl with your mineral spirits or solvent. Put on a pair of gloves to protect your hands during the cleaning process. Put your brushes into the bowl of solvent and gently use your hands to massage the solvent into the bristles. Use a brush comb to gently separate the bristles after paintbrush cleaning. You may need to repeat this process several times using fresh solvent to get all of the paint out. Your final washing should be in soap and water as you did for the water-based paint. Once your bristles have been separated with your comb a final time, lay your brushes on a flat surface to dry.

You can prolong the life of your paintbrushes by cleaning them immediately after using them and storing them flat. Never place your paintbrushes into a can with the bristles down. One final note, always buy high quality paintbrushes as they will perform better and last longer. This is not the time to skimp on quality.

Now that you know how to clean a paintbrush properly, you’ll be able to experience the joy of paintbrushes that perform well and last longer.

by Dr. Kristie