Salvaging Paint Brushes

Flag

It's always good to clean your paint brushes after each use but if you forget and the paint dries on the brush you still may be able to salvage the brush. Just soak the brush over night in cleaning solvent for the type of paint you used.

If you used water soluble paint, soak the brush in water. If you used oil paint, soak the brush in turpentine. The paint can should tell you what solvent should be used.

Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!

By (Guest Post)

August 25, 20040 found this helpful

I have used Lestoil cleaner to soak my brushes in that were left dirty and they got clean! I also use a wire brush to brush the bristles with.

Anonymous

January 10, 20060 found this helpful

I have salvaged many brushes (tossed away by co-workers) by soaking them in Lacquer thinner. This is tricky though because if you don't keep your eye on it, the thinner disolves the glue that holds the bristles and the brush will lose it's shape. I just read recently that you can put your brushes in boiling white vinegar and this will remove all dried paint. I'm going to try this instead of using chemicals. The best solution is of course, washing your brushes after each use. As a professional painter, I wash my brushes in warm water using dish detergent. The soap actually 'draws' the paint away from the bristles.

After most of the paint is washed out, I use my wire brush to remove the rest of the paint making sure to get down into the ferrule of the brush. This is the area of the brush most people don't clean well and when the brush dries, it's stiff and they can't figure out why. Paint finds it's way down in that area and it's hard to clean but wash your brush until the water runs clear. Paint brushes are my tools of my trade and they are expensive so I make sure mine are clean and in good condition. It just takes a little time to get them clean.

Ariela
Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 107 Feedbacks

December 2, 20060 found this helpful

Have you ever heard that soaking paint brushes in liquid fabric softener will soften paint brushes? My friend is a painter and he heard this. Im loaning him some Downey and I was just curious if

anyone here has heard of this? Thanks.

Ariela
Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 107 Feedbacks

December 2, 20060 found this helpful

I am answering my own post to let you know the fabric Softener DOES work!! He tried it tonight and VIOLA clean brushes!! Hes
very frugal in his business, these days we all have to be right?! He
was standing there with a big grin as the brush was completely clean! :)

suzanne
Silver Post Medal for All Time! 277 Posts

December 2, 20060 found this helpful

wow. i never knew about this tip with fabric softener
thanks so much !!

Anonymous

November 24, 20190 found this helpful

For paint brushes using oil, do NOT soak in terpentine or cleaning solvent as it will loosen those expensive glues inside the ferrel. Instead, sock in Murphys Soap, first, pour the soap in a narrow bottle up to height of ferrel. If there are many brushes, attach a clothes pin so it will lay across the top of the jar and letting the brush into the soap only a tad away from the ferrel. Many of us have done this for years and Murphys soap also conditions the brushes.

One lady left her uncleaned ones after art class for a week until the next class. She soaked them for days and nights and all the paint was removed. Then, just wash the soap away and press the water out by laying onto a towel and pressing against the towel, never pulling the bristles through your fingers. They will last for years if not decades.

Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!