Brush Care 101: How to Clean your Paintbrushes
Whether you’re a professional artist or simply love to paint as a hobby, brushes are essential to the art of painting. Paintbrushes range in all shapes and sizes, but their care generally remains the same. Without proper care, paintbrushes will wear out early and function improperly, negatively affecting your painting. So, let’s discuss exactly how to care for your paint brushes!
Step 1: Pre-clean your brush!
Contrary to popular belief, brush care begins before painting even begins! So before you start painting, make sure you clean the brush before it’s first use as most come with Gum Arabic sealer (type of glue/starch) for protection in transit. In addition, it’s important to test the brush to double-check they’re clean and remove any loose brush hairs (especially hog bristles) before starting.
Step 2: Rinse and repeat!
After painting, wash your brushes clean from the paint. If you don’t clean them, the paint will dry, making the brush hairs split and unusable. When you wash the brushes, wet the brush hairs as they face down, and use lukewarm water massaging shampoo or brush cleaner into the brush hair. Our recommendation is to use a mild shampoo or brush cleaner for removing acrylics and watercolor paints. For oil paints, you can use mineral spirits, Murphy’s Oils Soap, or baby oil. Finally, wash the brush until the water runs clear.
Step 3: Dry and store!
After you’ve removed all the paint from the brush, dry it immediately. Do not let the brush soak in water because this can cause problems with the wooden handle and also water can get inside the ferrule and damage the glue behind the brush knot. Instead, gently squeeze the remaining water out of the brush with a towel. Then, reshape the brush to its original shape and lay it flat on the towel to dry.
Ultimately, a properly cleaned brush allows for a pleasant and productive painting session. Additionally, when you properly care for your paintbrushes, they will remain an excellent investment for many years to come. If you’d like to learn more or have any questions please don't hesitate to contact us here Contact Us