How to clean paint brushes

woman cleaning paint brush

by Emily Gilbert |
Published on

Once you've invested in the best painting tools for the home project you're undertaking, understandably you want to keep them nice and clean so you can continue using them for further painting.

It's important to learn the best way to clean paint brushes as doing so incorrectly could leave them not fit for purpose and needing to be thrown away.

Luckily, it's a straightforward process and we're going to tell you exactly how to do it...

How to clean paint brushes

• Once you've finished painting, try to scrape off as much paint as you can from your brushes and rollers.

Water-based paint

• If you've been using water-based paint, pop your brushes and rollers in warm water and leave to soak for a couple of hours.

• After this, dry with a clean cloth and store somewhere dry ready for future use.

Solvent-based paint

• If you've been painting with solvent-based paint, you'll need to pour a small amount of solvent-based cleaner into a container before working your brush against the sides so the cleaner reaches the base of the brush bristles.

• Leave the brush to soak for two hours then dry with a clean cloth and store somewhere dry ready for future use.

Remember, solvents shouldn't be poured down the sink. "After you’ve finished cleaning your brushes, pop a lid on your jar or container and leave for 24 hours. Once the paint has sunk to the bottom, you can tip the remaining solvent cleaner into the bottle for future use. Leave the paint to fully dry in the jar before disposing in the bin," recommends Dulux.

Need a visual guide for how to clean paint brushes? Check out this video from Purdy Paint Tools...

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