When laying the brushes horizontal, my Dad places a clean brush handle under the handle of the brush he's just cleaned to lift it slightly and help excess water run down onto the towel. To do this, make sure they're either horizontal or vertical and never upright as this way the water can run down into the ferrule damaging the glue or causing the wooden handle to swell. One of the most important steps that I would always overlook after painting a room is properly drying my brushes. After treating the brushes with fabric softener, give your brushes a pat dry on some kitchen towel and make sure to reshape any stray bristles. 'It doesn't need soaking for long, just a minute of swishing the bristles around the jar.' As a surfactant, fabric conditioner will also help remove any remaining paint residue. 'In a large jar of warm water, I add a cap full of fabric softener,' he explained. After a tough clean, inevitably, the filaments become less soft over time, but this nifty trick helps to keep the softer for longer. My mom is the one who does the laundry, so you can understand my shock when I saw my Dad reach for our fabric softener after he'd cleaned our paint brushes. Use fabric softener to keep bristles smooth 'The brush comb separates the filaments that are closer to the ferrule all the way to the bottom allowing the soapy water to penetrate and clean all the filaments.' 3. 'It makes cleaning so much easier, faster and gives you the best results,' the explain. They also stress the importance of the brush comb. 'Shake the brush by hitting the ferrule on the palm of your hand until most of the water is no longer in the filaments.' Of course, this depends on the type of paint finish you're decorating with - you can only use soapy water for water-based paints. 'Use warm water, soap and a brush comb, holding the filaments under water to wash out the soap and remaining paint,' they say. If you're paint brushes are relatively new and have only been used for a quick job, a rinse in warm water with dish soap should do the trick.Īccording to Mike Sherman, the paint brush expert and CEO of Zibra paint brushes, it's always best to clean your paintbrush immediately after use. I've definitely noticed a difference! I no longer find stray bristles in my paintwork and they're far softer and smoother during application, too. I always make sure to give my brushes a thorough clean these days and I avoid soaking them for too long. If stubborn dried paint remains, he gives the brush a comb through with a nail brush. 'Once it's hot, pour it into an old jar and place you brush in it.' To avoid mis-shaping the bristles he suspends the brush using a bulldog clip so it's not touching the bottom, then leaves to soak for half an hour or so. 'The best way to do this is to heat some white vinegar on the stove until it's simmering,' dad tells me. So, how should I clean my brushes instead? According to my dad, white vinegar is a brilliant choice for cleaning water-based paints, and it's a far safer and more inexpensive option, too. If the paint has hardened and won't dissolve in the solution, then your brushes are probably too late to be saved. Even when you use mineral spirits on oil-based paints, all it takes is a couple of swishes around the jar.
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