Cleaning brushes used with oil paints or varnishes can be a chore, and if not done meticulously it can ruin them due to lumps of dry paint that would settle between the bristles. Also, a large amount of solvent may be required during the process. An easy and inexpensive remedy for cleaning them is precisely the subject of this article.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: with turpentine (white spirit)
Step 1. Put the necessary items together
You will need three glass jars, possibly with interchangeable lids, an empty metal container (a can of tuna, for example), and some rag or newspaper.
Step 2. Number the lids 1 to 3, so you can distinguish the three jars
Step 3. Fill them with solvent, about one third of their capacity
Step 4. Clean as much paint from the brush as possible, using a rag or newspaper
Step 5. Pour the contents of jar n ° 1 into the metal container, and dip the bristles of the brush, shaking it in the solvent
Step 6. Shake as much solvent off the bristles as possible and wipe them with a rag or paper
Step 7. Return the used solvent to the first glass jar and repeat the process with the second and third
-
Your brush will be perfectly clean, and can be stored, wrapped in newspaper.
Clean Oil Paint Brushes Step 8 -
After some time the paint in the first jar will settle on the bottom, and the liquid, transparent again, can be reused.
Clean Oil Paint Brushes Step 9 -
When the contents of the first jar become too dirty to be used again, throw the contents away, clean it and fill it with clean solvent.
Clean Oil Paint Brushes Step 10 -
At this point, switch the lids of the jars, so that the second jar becomes the first, the third becomes the second, and the freshly cleaned jar becomes the third. This process can be repeated indefinitely, and allows you to use a minimal amount of solvent.
Clean Oil Paint Brushes Step 11
Method 2 of 2: with laundry detergent
Step 1. Fill a jar or small container with laundry detergent
Step 2. Using a rag, wipe off any excess paint left on the brush
Step 3. Dip the brush in the detergent and shake it in a circular motion
You should be able to see the streaks of paint separating from the bristles.
Step 4. Clean and rinse the brush, which should now be clean
Advice
- If you intend to reuse the brush within a short time (for example in the 48 hours after washing), put a few drops of solvent in a plastic bag without holes, and close it around the bristles of the brush, securing it with an elastic, so as to obtain an airtight seal. Remove as much air from the bag as possible.
- To clean brushes used with solvent-based paints use only the first of the two methods presented. Use separate jars for thinner products.
