Cleaning Brushes

[Adam144]

I have a small bottle of Testor's "Paint Brush Cleaner" that seems to work great, not even sure if it was a gift or why I have it. But i'm wondering is there anything special about this or necessary to clean up Enamel paint from brushes or can I just use regular paint thinner/varsol etc? What's the common procedure used by the veterans of the board?

Thanks.

[bobthehobbyguy]

I use regular paint thinner for cleaning enamel paint, you can get a can at the local hardware store.

The only time I use a brand name thinner is when I am thinning the paint. For example if I am using Testors enamel paint then I'd use Testors enamel paint thinner for thinning it.

[raymanz]

I have a small bottle of Testor's "Paint Brush Cleaner" that seems to work great, not even sure if it was a gift or why I have it. But i'm wondering is there anything special about this or necessary to clean up Enamel paint from brushes or can I just use regular paint thinner/varsol etc? What's the common procedure used by the veterans of the board?

Thanks.

Adam,myself I've always clean my brush with lacquer thinner. No matter what type of paint I'm using and had great results-also after giving them a quick bath in the thinner-I put a little saliva(spit) on my fingers and just roll them and put away wet so they won't dry out. Hope this helps-Ray

[VW Dave]

My brush cleaner of choice for about 25 years now has been Ronsonol lighter fluid, and I use a 'pre-owned' jelly jar for the job.

To keep my brushes in shape, I don't leave them standing in the solvent; I dip & swirl them then drag them out on a paper towel(repeating if necessary) until clean.

[crazyjim]

I use cheap lacquer thinner for cleaning paint brushes no matter which brand/type of paint I use.

[garryrenfro]

There are also many brands of "Brush Cleaner" sold in household paint sections. They seem to contain acetone as the solvent, as well as some components to condition brushes.

Edited November 6, 2010 by garryrenfro

[impcon]

I painted signs for years as a side line and I was taught to use laquer thinners to clean my brushes. If you have ever priced lettering brushes, then you will know thatthey are expensive ( many well in excessof $20.00 per brush ), so there is definitely some motivation there to look after what you have. I'd use a jar about the size of a baby food jar and fill it about 1/2 to 3/4 full of thinners. Immerse the brush in the thinners and swirl it around until it is as clean as you can get it. Then I'd have a second small jar with clean thinners in it and I would rinse the brush in that jar until there was no eveidence of color coming out of the brush. As the first jar became "dirty", and the second jar began to become lightly tinted from colour, I would discard the contents of the first jar and dump the contents of the second jar into it - and replace the second jar's contents with clean thinners. You'll get a number of cleanings out of the contents of the jars this way and your brushes will be clean.

To keep the brushes soft, I'd use boiled linseed oil or even common automatic transmission fluid or engine oil and just dip the freshly cleaned brush into it. I have a little metal box that originally held a cheap set of deep 1/2" drive Chinese or Taiwanese sockets - and I lay the brushes flat in the bottom of the box. They keep their natural shape that way and they are easy to store. A dlooar store plastic container will work equally well - the metal box was just what I had on hand when I needed it and it has served that purpose for decades now. I have had those brushes for over 30 years and they are still as soft and useable as the day that I bought them.

Before using the brushes, I would rinse them out in the laquer thinners as if they had paint on them, using the two bottles of thinners. Despite what some of you may be thinking, I NEVER had any issues with contamination from the oil on the brushes as long as I rinsed them well before using them. Oil stays liquid and preserves the brushes well - just make sure to rinse them well before using. Hope this helps...

[PonchoPower]

Hop on over to you local craft shop, in my case Michaels, and grab a 4oz. bottle of Windsor and Newton Brush Cleaner & Restorer. It costs around $5 and a little goes a loooong way.It's non-toxic, biodegradable, low(almost non existent)vapor, water soluble, and non abrasive.It eats into and breaks up every paint I have had to throw at it. I keep about an inch or two of it in an old spice bottle, the tall ones with the shaker cap with 2 different size holes on each side. Pop the cap drop in your brush suspended as to not let the bristles touch the bottom, I use rubber wire grommets or a piece of masking tape, or you will have a permanently bent and useless brush. Every 10 minutes or so check your progress(roll bristle between you finger) to see if the paint is disintegrating rinse, dry, and repeat until clean. Rinse well on your final clean and your brush is restored to like new. Provided that it was like that when the paint dried. So far in 3 years I haven't been back to the bottle for more yet!

P.S. Don't leave you brushes in for tooooo long i.e. over 3-4 hours or you will find that the ambient fumes in the bottle have started to soften the paint on your brush handles, lol

Rob

Edited December 5, 2010 by PonchoPower

[stevehansen]

I've been using Oatey PVC Cleaner, really strong, cleans even dried paint.

[charlie8575]

Standard paint thinner or lacquer thinner will work well. The brush cleaner is essentially paint thinner. The brush cleaner bottle can be refilled with either of these and re-used, as it's a good size for the brushes.

Charlie Larkin

[joemac]

Lacquer thinner, followed by good old dishwashing soap and water.

I still have brushes I've had since I was a teenager and I haven't been a teenager since I was, well...in my teens.