Acrylic brushes are not reusable if they are not cleaned properly. Therefore, brushes must be thoroughly cleaned after each use. If you don't clean the bristles, the bristles will harden and stick together firmly, especially if you use acrylic paint that dries quickly. Luckily, these brushes can be cleaned in just a few minutes. If cleaned properly, brushes can be used over and over again and will extend their useful life.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Removing Paint Residue from the Brush
Step 1. Wipe the paint off with a paper towel or washcloth
You don't have to, but this step will make your job easier. Before cleaning the brush with water, wrap the brush bristles with a tissue or cloth first. Gently press a tissue or cloth to wipe off any excess paint on the brush. Thus, the brush cleaning process will be easier and faster.
Don't delay brush cleaning after you've finished painting. Your brushes should be cleaned immediately after use
Step 2. Wipe the paint brush over a paper towel or washcloth
Wipe the brush on a paper towel or washcloth until no more paint moves. This will help remove any excess paint on the brush before cleaning.
Step 3. Swish the brush in a bowl of water
Dip the brush in a bowl of water and run the bristles at the bottom of the bowl for a few seconds. Do not dip the brush for too long. You just need to flick the bristles in the water to remove any remaining paint.
- If you used a bowl of water to rinse the brush before changing the color of the paint, please use this water, or use new water. The brush will be cleaned with soap and water after this initial cleaning. So, it's okay if the water is a bit cloudy.
- After wiping and dipping in water, your brush will be much cleaner. However, these two are not enough to completely clean the brush. You need to clean the brush with soap and water to keep the bristles soft and supple.
Method 2 of 3: Cleaning with Soap and Water
Step 1. Soak the brush in warm water
Turn on the hot and cold water taps until the water is warm. Then, rinse the brush under tap water for 5-10 seconds and rub gently. Rotate the brush while it is under tap water to rinse all sides.
The water pressure will help remove any excess paint that a paper towel or washcloth won't be able to remove
Step 2. Pinch the knuckles of the brush to remove any excess paint
After rinsing in tap water for 5-10 seconds, pinch the bristles of the brush with your fingers.
- By now, the brush may appear to be clean. However, brushes still need to be cleaned with soap.
- You can try using a brush comb to remove any excess paint.
Step 3. Pour mild soap on the bristles of the brush and rub it evenly
Turn off the faucet, and pour a teaspoon of mild soap or artist soap over the bristles of the brush. Use your fingers to massage the soap into the bristles of the brush.
- You can use shampoo instead of soap.
- If you're cleaning a large brush, make sure the soap is massaged into the inner bristles as well as the outer bristles.
- You should lather the brush where the bristles meet with the ring around the brush stem (this section is called the ferrule). If not cleaned, the ferrule will spread, harden, and deform the brush bristles.
Step 4. Rinse the soap on the brush
Turn the tap water back on until it warms up again. Then, rinse the brush in tap water. Once most of the suds have been carried away by the tap water, massage the bristles of the brush with your fingers to rinse off any remaining soap.
Step 5. Swish the brush over the soap
After rinsing off the soap, pour a small amount of soap (about the size of a coin) in the palm of your hand. Hold the brush with the other hand, and flick the bristles over the soap.
- This step helps remove the hard-to-reach paint around the ferrule.
- This flicking motion mimics the motion of a brush when painting. This will allow the soap to reach areas of the brush that are still stained with paint.
Step 6. Rinse your brush again
After waving in the palm of your hand, your brush should now be completely clean. Rinse under a warm tap, then massage the bristles of the brush to remove any remaining soap residue.
Step 7. Dry the brush
The brush should not be too wet. After rinsing, wrap the brush with kitchen paper or a clean cloth. After that, press gently so that the water in the bristles of the brush can be absorbed by the tissue / cloth.
Lay the brush horizontally to dry. If stored vertically, the bristles can bend and deform
Method 3 of 3: Applying Good Habits While Painting
Step 1. Dip the brush occasionally in water when using multiple brushes
There are a few tips to get used to when painting to make brushes easier to clean and prevent the bristles from hardening or damaging. One of the most important things is not to let the paint dry on the bristles of the brush.
- If you use multiple brushes while painting, and take a long break before repainting, don't forget to dip the brush occasionally in the paint to prevent it from drying out.
- Dip the brush in the water and shake it to remove any excess paint so it doesn't dry on the bristles.
Step 2. Do not soak the brush while painting
If you use multiple brushes, you may be tempted to leave the brushes submerged in water. However, the bristles of your brush can spread and bend until they change shape. Instead, lay the brush horizontally on a washcloth or kitchen paper.
Step 3. Don't let the paint hit the ferrule
When painting, it may be tempting to dip all the bristles up to the head in the paint. However, the paint will hit the ferrule which will be very difficult to clean and will eventually damage and stretch the bristles.
Instead, just dip of the bristles in the paint instead of the whole thing
Tips
- Remember, this paint brush cleaning only takes about a minute. Don't skip this process to keep your brushes in good condition, especially if they are of high quality.
- If the brush isn't cleaned and the bristles are hard and sticking together, you can still save them by soaking the bristles in nail polish remover for a day.
- Nail polish remover contains harsh substances that can damage the bristles of the brush. However, the brushes will be reusable.
