Brush Care and Cleaning

1. Good brushes are a worthy investment. Buy the quality you need and don’t hesitate to replace worn and ragged ones. Cleaning and storing brushes in the proper manner will help protect your investment. Brushes that are properly cared for will last a long time.
2. Always work hair in their natural direction.
3. Don’t leave a brush soaking in water or solvent for a long time. Moisture saturation between the ferrule and the handle can cause the handle to loosen from the ferrule.
4. Don’t leave a brush standing on it’s bristles. This can cause the bristles to be permanently damaged.
5. While it is perfectly fine to pick up small amounts of color between puddles of paint and mix them on the brush to alter the color, don’t mix or stir large puddles together with the brush. Use a palette knife.
6. Never let the paint dry in the brush, especially acrylics. It only takes a few minutes for acrylics to harden and is almost impossible to remove. Even if you have a cleaner that will remove the paint, the bristles of the brush are no longer at their best.
7. Clean brushes immediately after a painting session is over.
8. Brushes should dry flat or in a suspended vertical position with the tips down. Again, do not rest the brush on its tip. Do not dry in an upright position with the tips up. Moisture can run down into the ferrule and cause the handle to swell. They should be thoroughly dry before storing in a closed container.
9. Use separate brushes for oil based medium and water based medium.
10. Clean as much paint as possible out of the brush with the appropriate water or solvent before the final cleaning.
11. There are many products available today for cleaning and conditioning brushes. Synthetic brushes and/or natural hair brushes used with water color or acrylic can be cleaned with one of the commercial products or a mild soap, such as Ivory Soap, and water until the water runs clear. Be especially diligent around the ferrule.
12. Brushes used with oil paints can be thoroughly cleaned with Turpenoid Natural, lard oil or even olive oil if the brushes are used regularly. However, if they are to be stored for a period of time they can be cleaned with a commercial cleaner, mild soap, or Murphy’s Oil Soap and water.

©2001-2003 Elsa Riedel