On a good day I tend to just drop them in a tin can of water that contains other paint from other brushes.
And then I leave them.
Naughty paint brush owner.
If I ... think I might plan on possibly maybe some day eventually ... using the same brush with the same paint, I will stick it in a fold top sandwich bag.
For eternity.
I have a few brushes I tend to use again and again, and they really needed to be cleaned, so I put some Fusion Brush Cleaner to the test.
Fusion also makes a line of paint that I've been recently trying out.
I have never given my brushes a good cleaning and didn't know how to use a product that's made to do that, so I did read and followed the directions.
Reading directions is unusual for a rebel who doesn't even clean her brushes thoroughly.
The cleaner is all natural and non toxic. It was a little hard to squeeze out of the tube, but once it's out it will melt in your hands, which it also worked good at cleaning.
What, you don't ever get paint on your hands? Floors? Splatter the walls? I'm messy.
I stenciled some letters in black for a project back in December and the brush didn't get cleaned. Surprise surprise. It also didn't get stuck in a sandwich bag, I thought for sure this one was going in the trash.
I put a bit of the cleaner on the brush and was happy that the black was all coming off. The fact the brush could be cleaned at that point made me feel a little less like an idiot for not cleaning it to begin with.
I was pretty happy with the results - the brush came clean after sitting with the dried black paint on it. The next time I used this small brush was with red paint, and I found red was a harder color to get out, but the Fusion cleaner still managed to get the paint out even if the bristles were stained.
I took the long soaking brushes out of the can to give them a scrub. It was amazing the gunk that came out of them. Colors not even of recent use that were trapped inside started to exit the bristles.
Before
Dirty |
None of them were expensive brushes, which of course would be make it urgent to keep them in good shape.
If I let the cleaned brushes soak in a tin can of water now, which I vow to no longer do, no paint would weep out out of them, the Fusion cleaner did an excellent job.
After
Cleaned |
I now keep the brush cleaner by the sink so I can easily scrub up each brush after I use it, instead of soaking them in a can of water and being lazy about it.
I know!!!! Soaking isn't good for brushes! I told you not to scold me.
I may have to try this! I've been known to let a brush or two soak, myself. DL gets cross with me for not cleaning them properly. Among other things.
ReplyDeleteGuilty! I have brushes wrapped in saran wrap now... I can't even remember what I painted. The only brush I clean regularly is my purdy brush that I use for cutting in. The other ones ... tend to sit in their paint in plastic or water for days, weeks, months.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the cleaning tip! I could use some of this stuff.
I put my brushes in a zip lock bag and stash them in the freezer because I am too lazy to clean them....lol--you just thaw them out and they are just like you just put them down. My son (who painted on the side for a living) is a fanatic about brush care (I would be, too, if I paid $$zillion for a brush) He also uses a brush comb to get everything out. Good for him...wish he would come do my brushes for me. Thanks for the tip on this product. I have never heard of it. I will try it. xo Diana
ReplyDeleteOK. This is one thing I do not understand. Why people don't clean a brush after they use it. Until I started blogging I didn't even know these people existed. I guess I still love you.
ReplyDeleteI need to try this stuff. Brushes are expensive. I typically just use the hand soap sitting by the sink to clean them.
ReplyDeleteI'm not real great at it either...luckily my husband likes to clean brushes lol! Looks like a great product!
ReplyDeleteI am good with cleaning my brushes but I use detergent which I'm sure isn't the best. I may give this a try
ReplyDeleteCindy
I hate cleaning brushes!! This looks tolerable.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a good product! I prefer for my husband to clean our brushes since we have to do it over a bucket to catch the paint so it doesn't go down the drain into our septic tank. It's such a hassle! We use a metal wire brush to clean the paint out of the bristles and then after rinsing real well we shake them out outside. Then we let them air dry. Such a mess and such a chore. I think that's my least favorite part of painting. Thanks for the recommendation!
ReplyDeleteYou're not alone. I have ruined many a brush in my years. Good to know there is a cleaner that will get the gunk out.
ReplyDeleteI'm a brush cleaner, although they don't always look great when I'm done, so this is good news to me!
ReplyDeleteMy brushes are terrible. Embarrassing. I even cut them in half sideways to get rid of the paint gunked up in the middle. ha. I need this Fusion stuff!!
ReplyDeleteDeb
Yes, there are brushes in a ziploc in my fridge right now! And I'm guilty of just throwing them out. I know, I know! Crazy!
ReplyDelete:) Linda
Oooooh you bad, bad girl !
ReplyDeleteI'm obsessive at cleaning my brushes and often wash them half way through a job for fear of ruining them. I mostly use Purdy's though and they're very expensive, if it was a cheap brush I'd throw it out and I never use a Purdy with oil based paint, I couldn't bear the ruination.
I'm a lazy brush cleaner myself and an avid brush soaker, but knowing there's a product like this would make me much more willing to just clean it right then and there, rather than thinking the soak will make it easier later, but the later never happens. Thanks for the head's up!!
ReplyDeleteGuilty. I'm pretty half assed about cleaning brushes. I clean the expensive ones, but I may leave them in soapy water until I get around to it. Good to know about this stuff...and the freezer trick, too!
ReplyDelete