The type of paint you use is important when cleaning paint brushes. If you use the correct brush cleaning method based on the type of paint, you can reuse your cleaned brush multiple times. We explain brush cleaning methods for oil-based, latex, and acrylic paints with all aspects.
How to Clean a Paint Brush
Many brushes can be used again and again after cleaning. Cleaning will be easier if you start cleaning the paint brush as soon as you finish painting. However, the longer the paint stays on the brush, the harder it is to clean. This cleaning rule applies to all types of paint. Therefore, start cleaning the brush as soon as you finish painting.
If the paint on the brush has dried and the brush has hardened, it may reduce the quality of your next painting job. A dried and poorly cleaned brush cannot fully absorb the paint and may leave marks during painting. Therefore, if you’re doing a very important painting job, you might consider using a new brush. Here are brush cleaning methods explained separately according to the type of paint.
How to Clean a Paint Brush with Latex Paint (Water-Based Paints)
Latex paints are generally used for painting walls. If you want smooth edges in your next painting job, you need to clean your brush very well. No matter how high-quality the paint is, if the brush is not clean or has residue from old paint, it can leave marks and create bumps while painting.
Because latex paints are more durable, it’s necessary to start cleaning as quickly as possible. Begin cleaning before the paint dries on the brush as soon as you finish painting. Don’t let the paint dry on the brush! Hot water is sufficient to remove latex paint from the brush.
First, remove excess paint into a paint scraper or paint bucket. Make sure there is as little paint as possible on the brush. Then wash the brush under hot water in a sink. During washing, you can comb the brush towards the tip like combing hair with an old comb. This method will ensure the paint at the base is completely removed. Do this from all sides by rotating the brush. When washing is complete, press the brush to allow the water inside to come out. Finally, store your brush by wrapping it in newspaper.
Tip: If the paint on the brush has started to dry, soak it in a container full of hot water for about 1 hour before washing.
How Do I Clean Oil-Based Paint Brushes?
Oil-based paints are synthetic-based paints. “Related post: Oil stain vs water based stain.” Therefore, cleaning the brush with water doesn’t work. To clean a paint brush painted with oil-based paint, you need to use mineral spirits, synthetic thinner, and special brush cleaning thinner.
As soon as you finish painting with oil-based paint, after scraping excess paint into the paint container, wash the brush with mineral spirits or paint cleaning thinner. However, make sure the thinner is not cellulosic thinner. Although cellulosic thinner quickly cleans the paint from the brush, it causes deformations in the brush. It can bend the bristles of the brush and cause them to fall out. “Related article: Does paint thinner remove paint?”
- As soon as you finish painting, put on a glove and thoroughly wash the brush with mineral spirits.
- If the paint has started to dry, put some mineral spirits in a small container and press the bristles of the brush in it in both directions.
- You can leave the brush in the container with thinner for about an hour for the oil-based paint to dissolve well from the brush.
- After removing the brush, dry it with a dry cloth.
- Before storing the brush, make sure the bristles are not stuck together. If the bristles are stuck together, separate them.
Tip: If oil-based paint has dried on the brush, cleaning can be a challenging and costly process. Therefore, it might be a better idea to buy a new brush instead of spending time and effort to clean the paint.
How Do I Clean Acrylic Paint Brushes?
To clean an acrylic paint brush, all you need to do is wash it with water as soon as you finish painting. If the water is warm or hot, you can clean the acrylic paint brush more easily.
To clean a dried acrylic paint brush, you can use hot water. Put your brush in a container full of hot water. Let the brush stay in until the water cools down. When you take it out, wash it with warm or hot water. If the bristles of the brush are not soft enough, repeat the process.
It’s not a good idea to clean your acrylic paint brushes with thinner. It may cause the bristles of the brush to fall out after a short time, even if not immediately. Also, the brush may harden or stick.
How to Get Dried Paint Off Paint Brush
Cleaning a brush that has been stored without proper cleaning and has dried is a challenging process. Therefore, a new brush is often purchased instead of cleaning it. Also, a cleaned brush may not function as it used to most of the time. The brush may not paint properly, may leave marks, or may shed bristles. Still, if you want to try before buying a new brush, here is the correct way to clean a dried paint brush:
To clean a dried paint brush, if water-based paint was used before, it needs to be washed with hot water. If oil-based paint was used for painting before, it needs to be washed with mineral spirits, and if cellulosic paint was used, it needs to be washed with lacquer thinner.
Soaking it in an appropriate solvent for about 1 hour for the paint to soften well can also help. However, you may need to use a lot of thinner to clean a hardened paint brush. This can exceed the price of the brush. The best way to get dried paint off a dried brush is cellulosic thinner (lacquer thinner). But, although cellulosic thinner is a good paint solvent, it will cause many bristles of the brush to fall out. In short, using a new brush instead of cleaning a dried brush may be cheaper. This way, you can also paint more smoothly.
Warnings and Precautions
- The cleaned brush may not reach sufficient softness to paint again. It may leave marks on the surface you are going to paint, shed bristles, or not paint properly.
- The thinner you spend for cleaning a roller brush can be more expensive than the brush.
- The quality of the brush you use may not be suitable for reuse or cleaning. Therefore, quality products should be preferred when selecting a brush roller.
- If you think of using the brush again and again, you can buy a cleaning thinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most common questions about paint brush cleaning are below. Feel free to leave a comment for any other questions you may have.
How to Soften a Hard Paint Brush
Remember what type of paint you used the brush for before. If you used it for water-based paint types like latex and acrylic paint, hot water will be sufficient to soften the brush. If you used it for oil-based paint, you can soften the brush with mineral spirits, or if you used the brush for cellulosic paint, you can soften it with lacquer thinner.
Can a Dried Paint Brush be Saved?
Yes, in most cases it can be saved. However, the chances of recovery are higher with water-based paints. Cleaning brushes used for oil-based paints generally doesn’t work well.
Does Boiling Water Clean Paint Brushes?
Boiling water can dissolve dried paints like latex and acrylic from brushes. However, this doesn’t always work. Very old brushes may not soften. Additionally, boiling water doesn’t work with oil-based paints.
What is the Best Way to Clean a Paint Brush?
The best way to clean a paint brush is to wash it immediately after finishing the painting job. Wash brushes with water for water-based paints and with cleaning thinner for oil-based paints.
