DIY Tool Basics – Cleaning Paint Brushes
October 10th, 2008
Cleaning and restoring paint brushes is one of the most tiresome and troublesome task to complete after any DIY decoration or home improvement job. In fact, it is often also the most overlooked chore and many people will leave their paint brushes and simply buy new ones when they come to need them again and find the bristles stuck solidly together. You can get more value for your money out of those old paint brushes with some easy cleaning tips and advice.
If you can, clean your paint brushes immediately after use. You don’t need to clean it every time you run out of paint, but after you finish the job, when you have a break from the job for the day or at the end of the day you should endeavour to give those paint brushes a clean. If you having a lot of breaks during the day for teas or coffees for example you should remove as much excess as you can from the brush and wrap it in cling film. This will stop the air getting to the bristles and ensure the brush does not dry up while you are away.
In order to clean your brushes thoroughly after use you should firstly soak up as much excess paint as possible after your DIY job by brushing it onto some spare newspaper or an old rag. Push the brush hard against the paint pot and squeeze out as much paint as possible before hand if you have a lot of excess paint on your brush.
If you have been using oil based paint you should tip some white spirit into an empty jar and work the brush bristles on the base of the jar with the brush inside the spirit. Remember to put on some rubber gloves in case of splashes and spillages. Once you have worked the brush thoroughly, empty the jar and re-fill it with clean white spirit. You only need a small amount of white spirit about an inch deep in the jar or a little deeper if the brush is bigger. Even though you will have to buy some white spirit to clean your brushes, it is much cheaper than buying new ones so it’s a good investment.
There are other types of paint as well including water based paints and each one has its own ideal partner for removal.
Categories: Home improvement
