Paintbrushes can be expensive; by properly cleaning them you will get a better return on your initial investment by being able to use the same brushes for multiple painting projects in your home. Below are a few tips we recommend to keeping your brushes clean.
Oil or Latex?
Are you utilizing oil-based or latex-based paints while painting a home in West Greenwich or Newport? Your answer will determine what solutions you’ll need to clean your brushes. Brushes used with latex paint will only require a mixture of warm water and a little soap or detergent whereas a brush using oil paint will require the use of paint thinner. Keep this in mind when reading the steps below.
Preparing Your Solution
For your latex based paints, get a small bucket or container (a cleaned out paint can works nicely) and fill it with warm water and a couple of spoonfuls of dish soap or detergent. Place your brush into the solution and briskly swish the brush back and forth for about thirty seconds. The will remove the majority of the paint. If any paint remains, repeating the process with just warm water or even running the brush under warm water should remove the little paint that is left. For oil paints, fill your container with a few inches of paint thinner and gently swirl your brush in the remover for around thirty seconds. Press the brush against the side of the container to remove excess thinner then wipe it off with a towel. Be sure to properly dispose of your paint thinner as it is flammable and often somewhat toxic.
NOTE: Wear protective gloves when handling paint thinner.
Dry and Store.
Once you have cleaned your brushes you need to let them dry. If you aren’t in a hurry, hang them up and allow them to dry. If you need to dry them quickly, you can utilize and paintbrush spinner, which spins the excess liquid off the brush so it dries more quickly. These can be found at most home improvement stores from Charlestown to Jamestown. Whatever method you choose, once they are dry place them back in the protective covers they came in.
When it comes to interior painting services, or exterior painting services in the Westerly, East Greenwich or Portsmouth areas, we at DMP in Wakefield would love to assist you in your projects. If you would like to speak with a paint contractor, or set up a free consultation, contact us and speak with a painting service professional today.
