Brush the bottom of the container to dislodge paint. [3] X Expert Source Patrick CoyePainting Specialist Expert Interview. 22 July 2020. Remove the bristles from the liquid. Squeeze out more excess paint as before. You can gently push the brush on the side of the jar if it doesn’t seem that the spirits saturated it, but don’t swish too much. Be cautious as you clean, since excess paint will now be runnier. Try to keep the spirits transparent when wetting the brush in thinner.
Be aware that your brush will still appear stained by the paint afterward. This is normal. [5] X Research source
This is where you can submerge the brush. Notice that this is water, however, and not a harsh, chemical solvent. [7] X Expert Source Patrick CoyePainting Specialist Expert Interview. 22 July 2020. Also, be careful at how hot the water is in this stage as this can warm up the glue holding the bristles together inside the ferrule, which can deteriorate it as well. Continue brushing until a lather forms. [8] X Research source Stop once the lather turns the same color as your paint. Rinse the brush and your hand under warm water. Repeat until the lather no longer turns color.
The bristles may still appear stained, even after cleaning. This is to be expected and does not mean they’re still dirty. [10] X Research source
Drying your brush thoroughly will prevent mildew from growing. A few wipes is usually all that’s needed, unless it’s a thick watercolor brush. Most often, however, if you’ve purchased a $70 number 7 sable watercolor brush, you will get a lot more life out of it if you stick to watercolors with it. This leads to optional step 7. If you’re in a hurry, aim a fan at the bristles. They should be dry unless they’re any bigger than an inch and a half. Continue pressing and blotting the bristles with clean rags or similar material as before to remove all moisture. Use new sections of rag or new rags each time so you can tell how wet they are afterward. Continue until the rag remains dry after use.
Apply this technique sparingly, only when necessary. Applying conditioner each and every time you wash your brush will cause the bristles to grow misshapen. If you need your brushes to be dry and not oily (or waxy-feeling) upon returning to the studio, you may want to skip this step. However, conditioning your brushes should extend their lifespan. You can also condition with mineral oil, or a product from an art-supply store. Don’t trust the brush-restorers at hardware stores, as they’ll eat brushes nearly down to the ferrule; they’re made for contractors’ commercial paintbrushes, not yours. Your brush will never be restored to store-bought quality, but the process can still help.
For future projects, dump your dirty thinner into the container with the paint remnants. Allow them separate and then transfer the clean liquid back into your thinner’s container. Repeat until the container holding the separated paint is full.
Safflower oil (a cooking oil that is safe to dispose down the sink) makes a great substitute for paint thinner if disposing of hazardous chemicals correctly is too burdensome.
If you are going to resume painting shortly, don’t soak your brush in paint thinner in the meantime as a substitute for cleaning. Over time, paint thinner will eat away at the glue that binds the bristles to the handle. Although oil paints dry at a slower rate than other types, it is still easier to clean your brush before they have a chance to dry at all. [19] X Research source
Cleaning rags, newspaper sheets, paper towels, or similar materials One sealable container with a lid. Paint thinner (mineral spirits or turpentine, depending on your medium) or safflower oil[23] X Expert Source Patrick CoyePainting Specialist Expert Interview. 22 July 2020. Soap (preferably designed specifically for paint brushes; if not, dish-washing soap or shampoo is acceptable)[24] X Research source
