How to clean and maintain your paint brushes.

This is pretty basic and many may already know about it, but if not:

1. The first thing to do when painting is finished, is to rinse the brush in the recommended thinner or solvent as written on the bottle. For acrylics this would be water, for enamels and oils, turpentine or white spirits, etc. Squeeze the liquid out on a rag or paper towel. The brush may now seem clean, but no.

2. The next step should be done immediately. Rinse the brush under warm (but not hot) water. Then get an old cake of soap that won’t be used for other purposes. Work the bristles into the soap until a lather forms. You’ll notice that the lather is discoloured with paint. Rinse out the lather with warm water, and repeat the lathering process and rinsing until the lather is clean.

3. Now form the wet bristles into shape as they will mostly keep this shape as they dry. I do lick my brushes to form a sharp point or wedge, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend you do this, in case toxins remain in the brush. Then again, it hasn’t hurt m..m..me.

Follow these steps and your brushes will last for years.