If you clean your paint brushes and rollers properly, you can use them for many years. It is worthwhile if you have good paint brushes because they do a great job and they can be expensive to replace. Be sure to follow the steps below.
How to Properly Clean Your Paintbrush
Make sure that you have the supplies you need to clean your brushes. You should gather the following:
- Bucket
- Jar
- Paint brush spinner
- Paint brush comb
- Clean rags
- Wire brush
- Newspaper
- Heavy brown paper
- String
You should use the rim of the paint can to get the excess paint off of your brush. Then, take the newspaper and blot the paintbrush on the paper before you clean it.
Next, take your bucket and fill it with soapy water. Use your brush comb, and work the paint free from the brush. Then, spin the brush in the pail to remove any remaining paint.
Now, you can rinse the bristles with your hands. Try to get them as clean as possible, and then spin the brush again. Continue to rinse in clean water until the paint brush is free of any paint.
Take the heavy brown paper and wrap the brush. This will help your brush retain its shape for the next use. Use your string to tie the brown paper loosely around the paint brush bristles.
If you have used an oil-based paint, you will need to use a solvent such as paint thinner, lacquer thinner, alcohol, or ammonia. You should clean your brushes outdoors far from any fire or electricity.
Rather than washing the paintbrush in water, you will wash it in paint thinner. Make sure that you wear chemical resistant gloves to protect your hands. Use the brush comb in the paint thinner, and then spin the brush. Rinse it again in the paint thinner, and then spin it one more time.
You can follow up by washing the brush in soapy water once all of the paint is gone. Then, wrap it in the brown paper just as you would a brush you used for non-oil-based paint.
How to Properly Clean Paint Rollers
Although paint rollers aren’t as expensive as paint brushes, it is a good idea to buy good quality rollers and take care of them. You will have better results, and you simply need to take the time to properly clean them.
Start by getting your supplies together. Gather the following:
- 5-in-1 tool
- Bucket
- Brush with firm bristles
- Paint brush comb
- Plastic bristle brush
- Putty knife
- Safety glasses
- Rubber gloves
- Detergent
- Newspaper
- Rags
- Warm water
Your roller absorbs paint the way a sponge absorbs water, so the first step is to recapture the extra paint. Use your 5-in-1 tool. Take the curved edge and scrap the extra paint off the roller over the can of paint. Start at the top and scrape to the bottom, but be gentle so as not to scrape dried paint into the can.
Next, layout your newspaper, and roll the roller back and forth until it doesn’t leave any paint behind. Put your rubber gloves on, and remove the cover from the roller so that you can clean the frame. It is much easier to clean the frame if the paint is still wet, so try to start your cleanup as soon as you are finished painting.
If you have used latex paint, fill a bucket with warm water and some detergent. You can use your brush with firm bristles to scrub the roller in the bucket of soapy water until all of the paint has been removed.
If you used oil paint, use paint thinner to rub off the paint and then wash it with soapy water. Make sure that you wear your safety glasses if you are working with any solvent.
Once the frame is clean, you can clean the roller cover. Place it in the bucket of soapy water and work the pain out. Then, you can rinse it until all the paint is gone. For oil-based paint, use paint thinner in place of water.