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Brushes
8
How to Clean Paintbrushes
Many of today’s coatings are designed to dry quickly, making them especially difficult to clean
out of paintbrushes. The resins bind to the brush filaments and set up within a very short period
of time. In fact, some primers are basically impossible to remove—that’s when you should pull
out an old brush, use it, and be prepared to toss it when you’re done. With rollers, it’s almost
always most efficient and cost-effective to simply throw them away after use.
Here are our recommendations to improve cleanup of brushes and lengthen the life expectancy
of these tools. The instructions below are for water-based paints only; refer to the paint
manufacturer’s guidelines for brushes used in oil-based coatings.
Step 1
Rinse the paint from the brush with warm water while combing out the heel of the
brush with both sides of our 1831 Painter’s Comb
™
. This will ensure that you have loosened all
partially dried paint from the inside of the brush.
Step 2
Add a liberal amount of hand cleaner with pumice to the brush and work into the
brush completely. There are many brands of hand cleaner that will work—some are liquid,
while others are more of a thick paste that are scooped out of the container. Again, use the
Painter’s Comb to work paint out of the interior of the brush.
Step 3
Rinse the brush once more until the water runs clear of all paint and hand cleaner. You
may need to add some regular hand soap during this final process for very hard-to-clean
primers, paints, and stains. After the final rinse, do one last comb-through to make sure the
paint is completely removed from the center of the brush.
This method does not keep the coating from drying in the brush, so if you are using a
fast-drying primer or paint, you will need to clean brushes before the end of the day. This is true
for all paintbrushes. You may have to change brushes every two to four hours, so keeping an
extra set of clean brushes will allow you to remain productive while the used brushes dry after
cleanup.
Choosing the right brush size is not difficult. Basically, you should select a comfortable size that
will “fit” the surface nicely. Larger brushes hold more paint and help you finish faster (less
dipping to refill). The angled edge vs. flat/straight is basically a matter of user preference,
though an angle sash is particularly effective on vertical surfaces.
Match the Brush to the Project
1. Dip the brush only about halfway into the paint. To avoid
dripping and keep your fingers clean, do not sink the brush
up to its metal ferrule.
2. Let excess paint drip for a moment, then lightly tap both
sides of the brush against the interior wall of the can or
bucket. Scraping excess paint on the lip of the can is
messy and counterproductive because it removes the paint
you just loaded into the brush.
3. As you paint, make sure to keep a wet edge, and
continue to paint from that point forward. Use long, smooth
strokes and refill the brush whenever the paint starts to
break up without covering the surface properly.
How to Load a Brush
Painter’s Tip from Ohio
Never dip your brush more than halfway up the filament. It won’t get on the wall, it will
just gum up the brush.
1” to 1
1
/
2
”
angle or flat
Hobbies & crafts, window
mullions, tight corners,
very detailed areas
Window frames, casings, door
mouldings, cutting-in edges
of walls & ceilings
2” to 2
1
/
2
”
angle sash
Baseboards, cabinets,
mouldings, furniture, stairs,
railings, shutters, gutters
Exterior siding, decks,
fences, masonry, walls,
ceilings, doors
BRUSH
SIZE
SURFACE
2” to 2
1
/
2
”
3” to 4”
Brushes
7