Cleaning Brushes

• It is common to get paint up to the ferrule of the brush. However, the key to long lasting brushes is to remove all paint from the brush when painting is finished.
• Load the brush two-thirds full. To pick up paint, dip each corner gently into each color.
• Do not keep working in the paint every time you pick up paint or you will get too much paint inside the brush.
• Dry brushes flat on a surface or hanging bristles down to avoid water pooling in the ferrule.
• Fill the basin with plenty of water.
• During a painting session, avoid leaving painted-filled brushes out of the water when not in use. For example, you stop to answer the phone or get a drink, place the brush in basin not on the table.

The secret of maintaining a tight chisel edge is not allowing paint to dry inside the brush and reshaping the bristles after cleaning.

Cleaning Brushes

• When ready to clean brushes, rake them through the “washboard” portion of the brush basin in one direction only.
• Work brush cleaner, liquid soap or bar soap into the brush as if loading paint.
• Add water and keep working the paint out of the brush.
• Rake the brush in the basin to work the soap out of the brush.
• Lay the brush against a paper towel to remove excess water. If color comes out of the brush repeat the cleaning steps.
• Once brushes have been thoroughly cleaned, add a small amount of brush cleaner or liquid soap to your fingers and reshape the bristles. If using bar soap, run the bristles against the bar, then reshape. The cleaner or soaps will act as sizing and will keep the bristles firm and together as they dry.
• Allow brushes to dry on a flat surface to avoid bristles from bending and/or water pooling in the ferrule.

Helpful tips

• If planning to paint for several hours, add a little soap to the water in basin. This will provide a “head start” to brush cleaning.
• Transport brushes in a plastic pencil case. This will keep used brushes moist until arriving home and can be cleaned properly.
• In the case, keep the unused brushes turned one way and the used brushes in the opposite. This will make it easier to decipher which brushes need to be cleaned.

How To Tell When Your Brushes Need To Be Replaced

• When wet or loaded with paint, you don’t have a straight, even chisel edge.
• When dry, the bristles aren’t straight and the chisel edge is separated.