by How to clean paint brushes: have you ever tried to paint with dirty brushes? It’s one of the most awkward things to do in the world. There is something about the way those bristles touch the canvas that tickles your gut and makes you feel like you might get sick. However, more important than keeping up good hygiene for your sole sake is the health of your brushes. They aren’t cheap by any means, so why not clean them!
If you’re using good quality paint brushes then this should be easy. All you need is a little bit of warm water and your brush is good as new. (And if you’ve done a good job painting, then it will look just like new!)
Cleaning paint brushes gets tiring, and it’s hard to get paint out of cheap brushes. So here is a way on how you can clean your brushes and make them look new again! Keep reading.
Table of Contents
Why is cleaning your brushes important?
Brushes are expensive. So when you want to buy a new one and can’t because it’s full of paint, then that’s a big problem. Cheap paint brushes wear out really fast, making your paintings look sloppy and sloppy is a big no-no in the eyes of artists who want to sell their artwork. After a while your cheap paint brushes stop collecting the paint and create a fine layer of oil on its surface, making it more difficult to paint. This leads to more time spent using more paint and repainting, which costs you even more money!
Brushes are also small, so you can’t use them to clean large surfaces. Since they’re so small and hard to grip, you tend to smear the brush on everything in sight. This is not the right way to clean your brushes. You need to clean them in a way that directs the dirty paint into a small container, which is usually hard to grip and contaminate everything around. This can also cause you to have a harder time painting with your brushes. You’ll end up frustrated and not able to see your vision through because you’re getting scuffed paint on your vision.
What you will need to clean your paint brushes?
- A cup of warm water.
- A container that’s strong and hard to contaminate, but can hold the paint you are planning on cleaning the brush with.
- A soap that specifically fits for brushes.
- A brush cleaning tool.
- A toothbrush.
How to clean paint brushes step by step:
You can clean your paint brushes easily by following these steps. Because, if you follow these steps and try doing it on your own, you’ll find out how hard it is to clean paint brushes.
Step 1.
Wipe your brush with a paper towel to remove the oil.
Step 2.
Fill a cup of warm water and add some dishwashing soap to the water. This will help cut through the oil layer faster. (People might find this step unnecessary, but I’ve never tried it so I included it.)
Step 3.
Pour your brush in the water and swish it around to get any paint stuck to the sides of the brush. This is important because if you don’t do this, you might not be able to reach some areas of your brushes that are currently starting to form more oil after a few days of not cleaning them. If you’re unsure where some areas might be, then fill a cup with warm water and place the bottom side of your brush in the cup and scoop out a small amount of paint with your finger.
Step 4.
In the same way, go around the bristles and scoop out oil from each one. You don’t need to go too far though. Don’t be afraid to get a little paint on your brush for this step, as it might save you some time when painting later on. Also, don’t use too much soap at this point because you don’t want the water to be too harsh and ruin your brushes. Try not to rinse them unless it’s really dirty or you have a long way left until you’re done cleaning them.
Step 5.
Once you’ve cleaned all the bristles, scrub them with a toothbrush and then rinse them with warm water.
Note: To make sure that the paint doesn’t get stuck on the bristles, I recommend placing your brush in a container of water for about a minute before brushing it. The paint will slide off of the bristles when you wash it.
Your brushes are clean! Now what?
To dry them you can use a towel or air dry them, but I recommend air drying. If you’re air-drying them, leave the bristles facing up so that all the water gets out quicker and your brush doesn’t develop any unnecessary dirt after you’ve cleaned it. Once it’s completely dry, store your brushes in a container that won’t contaminate or get paint on them again.
Tips and Tricks to keep your brushes clean long term!
You can also keep your brushes clean by flossing them. Yep, you heard me right. Use a thin piece of floss and go around the bristles to remove some of the oil before you clean it.
If you have a problem holding onto your brush while it’s wet, try this trick: Place the brush in a container filled with warm water and then put one hand above the brush so that you can hold onto it. This should allow you to clean the brush more easily.
How to clean paint brushes oil-based.
This is the same procedure, except you’ll want to use a soap that is specific for oil-based paints. This would be cheaper because you can buy one bottle instead of different types of specialized brushes. You would want to do this if you’re going to paint a lot of older oil-based paintings or oils from the past. The good news is, you can use liquid soap instead!
Here’s how to clean oil paints with a soap:
- Clean your brush with warm water by swishing it around in the water. (As explained in step 3)
- Sprinkle some soap on your brush and scrub all of the bristles until there is no paint or pigment left on them. Make sure that all of the bristles are removed from the tip to the base. (Also, explain step 4.)
- Rinse your brush in water and then dry it completely.
- Store your brushes in a container that will protect them from contamination.
How to clean paint brushes water-based?
This is how you clean water-based paints with a soap:
- Clean your brush with warm water by swishing it around in the water. (As explained in step 3)
- Sprinkle some soap on your brush and scrub all of the bristles until there is no paint or pigment left on them. Make sure that all of the bristles are removed from the tip to the base.(Also, explain step 4.)
- Rinse your brush in water and then dry it completely.
- Remove your brushes from the container and dry them completely by turning off their water.
- Store your brushes in a container that will protect them from contamination.
Conclusion.
If you are planning on doing a lot of painting, then it can be helpful to have the right tools for the job. In this tutorial, we will go over how to clean paint brushes properly so that your brushes go back to their original condition and will last longer. We hope these tips have been helpful!
