Working on a DIY project gives you a sense of accomplishment when it is all done. Once you have basked in the glory of the amazing end product, slowly comes the agony of realization of the next step; cleaning. As you may have noticed when purchasing your materials, brushes are pretty pricey and in order to get a good end product, it’s always best to purchase good brushes. Here are some ways to take care of that small investment you made in purchasing your paintbrushes.
As soon as possible after you complete the painting, scrape as much of the excess paint from the brush as possible. You can do this by swiping the brush against the opening of the paint can. Use a paint comb, which can be found at your local hardware/paint store, toremove the excess paint. You may also want to use a paper towel to help remove as much of the paint as possible.
After you remove the paint, use a mixture of warm water and mild soap to rinse out any remaining paint from the brush. Rinse out the brush by dipping the brush into the solution and scrubbing the bristles gently. A paintbrush comb would be handy here too, because you don’t want to mess with the shape of the brush.
Once you have rinsed out the brushes in the solution, it is now time to rinse out completely. Using warm water, place the brush above an empty bowl and rinse out. At this point you can also run it under running warm water. Make sure to gently rub the bristles to get the remaining cleaning solution from the brush. Be gentle to keep the bristles intact, this will allow you to use the brush again at a later date.
Use a side of a container to shake off the extra water once you have rinsed out the brushes. When it is thoroughly clean, reshape the bristles as close to the original shape as possible. Lastly, store the brush upright to be sure bristles in the shape. At this point you want to place the cover back on the brush to help maintain the shape of the brush as it dries.
Cleaning your brushes properly will keep them good and ready to use them time and time again. If you want to skip the cleaning, give us a call to help you get that final end product with less effort.