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Oh no! Your paintbrushes are stiff, either from dried paint or drying out after not using them for a while. Even if your brushes have hardened up, there are tons of easy ways you can soften your paintbrushes again with some common household products. We've put together a list of the best products and how to use them to restore your synthetic or natural brushes so they’re soft again.
Steps
Expert Q&A
- QuestionHow do you soften a dry brush?
Patrick CoyePatrick Coye is the owner and operator of Patrick’s Painting & Home Improvement in Alexandria, Virginia. With over 15 years of experience in residential construction, Patrick specializes in painting, wallpaper removal/installation, drywall, staining decks and fences, and kitchen cabinetry painting. To date, Patrick and his team have painted over 2,000 houses and stained over 800 decks. Patrick's Company won a "Top Job" award from the American Painting contractor magazine in 2020.
Painting SpecialistTo try to get as much paint off of the dry brush as possible, put it in some water or Mineral Spirits paint thinner. Then, clean the brushes with laundry detergent to help soften the bristles. - QuestionHow do you clean a hardened paint brush?Patrick CoyePatrick Coye is the owner and operator of Patrick’s Painting & Home Improvement in Alexandria, Virginia. With over 15 years of experience in residential construction, Patrick specializes in painting, wallpaper removal/installation, drywall, staining decks and fences, and kitchen cabinetry painting. To date, Patrick and his team have painted over 2,000 houses and stained over 800 decks. Patrick's Company won a "Top Job" award from the American Painting contractor magazine in 2020.
Painting SpecialistSoak the paint brush in mineral spirits to think the paint. Then, remove as much of the paint as possible. However, be careful that you don't handle the bristles too roughly, as they can get damaged. - QuestionWere the hair conditioner and fabric softener tips for oil based paint brushes?
Community AnswerSometimes if you soak them in hot water for a couple of minutes, it helps. If these are oil brushes though, you can't use them right away. Don't soak them for too long as it's bad for your brushes!
Tips
- Avoid pushing the bristles down too hard since they could bend or get damaged.[14]Thanks
- Try to scrape off as much paint as you can before using any cleaners so you don’t have to scrub the bristles as hard.Thanks
- Clean your paintbrushes after each time you use them so the bristles are less likely to harden.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://todayshomeowner.com/video/how-to-clean-hardened-paint-from-paintbrushes-naturally/
- ↑ https://choosemarker.com/how-to-soften-acrylic-paint-brushes/
- ↑ https://www.villageofwinnetka.org/DocumentCenter/View/636/Eco-Cleaning-Guide-PDF
- ↑ https://www.bhg.com/decorating/paint/how-tos/how-to-clean-paint-brushes/
- ↑ Patrick Coye. Painting Specialist. Expert Interview. 19 August 2020.
- ↑ https://choosemarker.com/how-to-soften-acrylic-paint-brushes/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/tVnZwYZocv4?t=66
- ↑ https://artincontext.org/how-to-clean-oil-paint-brushes/
- ↑ Patrick Coye. Painting Specialist. Expert Interview. 19 August 2020.
- ↑ https://youtu.be/IS2rkuYdk8I?t=74
- ↑ https://images.homedepot-static.com/catalog/pdfImages/1e/1eaaa4ea-0638-4220-adff-41a15a257c65.pdf
- ↑ https://todayshomeowner.com/video/proper-way-to-clean-a-paintbrush/
- ↑ Patrick Coye. Painting Specialist. Expert Interview. 19 August 2020.
- ↑ https://artincontext.org/how-to-clean-oil-paint-brushes/
About This Article
If your paintbrushes are hard because you haven’t used them in a while, you can use various household items to soften them up. Try applying a pea-sized amount of baby lotion or hand lotion to the bristles. Then, bend the brush back and forth on your hand so the bristles get coated in lotion up to the handle. After about 2 minutes, wipe off any excess lotion with a towel. Alternatively, soften your brushes with white vinegar. All you need to do is boil 2 to 3 cups of white vinegar and put your brush in a jar with the bristles pointing down. Once the vinegar begins to bubble, pour enough into the jar to cover the bristles and leave your brush to soak for 20 minutes. Scrape off any leftover paint with a comb, then rinse your brush under warm water. For tips on how to soften your brush using liquid fabric softener, keep reading!
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