Have you ever cleaned your paintbrushes? If not, then it’s time! Dirty brushes don’t just make ugly paintings, they can actually ruin the bristles and make it much harder for you to create art in the future. So let’s look at how to deep clean your brushes.
If you use acrylics, and especially if you use oil-based paints, deep cleaning your brushes is an important part of maintaining them. You should deep clean them every time you finish a painting or a series of paintings and even more frequently if you use them often. Acrylics are a little easier to clean than oil-based paints because they dry out faster; however, both types of paint need to be cleaned to avoid bacteria growth.
The first step in deep cleaning your paintbrushes is to gather all of your supplies: one small bowl or cup per brush, a brush cleaner or soap (like dishwashing soap) for each brush, some paper towels, and some warm water. Then set aside about 20 minutes for the process.
Now place the short bristles from each brush into one of the small bowls or cups and pour warm water over them until they are submerged beneath the water line. Let this sit while you do the next step.
While the
If you’ve been following me for a while, then you know that I’m a huge fan of cleaning my brushes regularly. It’s a simple thing to do that can have an enormous effect on your painting.
What I haven’t talked much about is how to deep clean your brushes. That’s today’s topic 🙂
When I first started painting, I always cleaned my brushes right after using them. This is fine, but it isn’t really deep cleaning! Deep cleaning involves getting in there and scrubbing the insides of the bristles with something abrasive.
When I was first starting out, I used soap and water and a toothbrush to scrub the insides of my bristles. Then I graduated to using baby shampoo and an old toothbrush and scrubbing just as hard as I could stand it. But these techniques didn’t give me the results I wanted. So eventually, I did some research online and found how to deep clean your brushes properly 🙂
I hope this helps you keep your brushes clean too :)”
The importance of clean brushes is that the paint will not stick to them. If you look at your brush after you are done painting, you may see that there is paint still on the brush. You may try to wipe it off, but a lot of times the paint just smears around. This is because the paint has already dried and will not come off with water or soap. So, if you want to be able to use your brush for other projects, it is important to deep clean them.
TIP 1: How to Clean Your Brushes
The best way to clean brushes is with turpentine or mineral spirits. Most of us do not want to use these strong solvents around our artwork, so we will have to find an alternative. The best alternative is simple soap and water combined with patience. After painting all day, I like to immerse my brushes in a jar of water that contains soap and then swirl the brushes around with my fingers until they come out clean. Sometimes a brush will still be stained after this method so I either repeat the process until the stains are gone or I used some extra soap and scrub them out using our hands.
I also use this method when washing my brushes after each session of painting. This keeps my
The materials we use to create our art vary greatly in their “cleanliness”. The cleanliness of a brush is important, because it affects the texture of your artwork, and the health of your paintbrushes.
As a beginner, I was never taught the importance of cleaning my brushes. I was told to clean them after painting, but not before and not during. Yet one day, I found this interesting set of articles on creating artwork using acrylic paint. In these articles, the author explains how proper cleaning of your brushes can make all the difference in the quality of your artwork. In fact, one of the first steps he recommends is deep cleaning your brushes!
Shedding paint and bristles is the single most important aspect of maintaining a brush. If done on a regular basis it will prolong the life of your brushes and keep them performing at their highest level. All too often though, I encounter “painters” who don’t even know how to clean their brushes between sessions let alone how to deep clean them properly.
The truth is that cleaning your brushes should be part of your regular routine, no different than flossing or washing your hair. You wouldn’t leave half a sandwich in your teeth all day everyday but you might think nothing of leaving dried up paint and bristles on the bristles of your brush…..
The following is a step by step guide to deep cleaning your brushes:
First, fill a medium sized container (plastic tub or old margarine container) with warm water and enough soap to give it some suds. Use a small amount of detergent instead of dish soap if you have sensitive skin as some detergents contain harsh chemicals.
I’ve had my brushes for a while now and they are as clean as they were when I got them. After two years of painting, I think it’s time to do a deep cleaning.
I’ve read articles on how to clean your brushes but they usually say to put some soap on them and then rinse them under water. This is not good enough. If you want your brushes to last longer, you need to give them a thorough cleaning every once in a while.
The three most important parts of a brush are the ferrule, the handle and the head (the part that holds the bristles). You should always remove paint, dirt and oil from all three portions if you want your brushes to last long.
To clean your brushes you will need:
1. Dish soap. I prefer Dawn but whatever you have on hand is fine. If you have more brushes than what will fit in your sink, you may want to use a bucket with some soapy water.
2. A sink or bucket filled with warm water and a bit of mild dish soap.
3. A hair dryer (optional, not pictured).
