Tips for Cleaning Acrylic Paint Brushes?

 

How to Clean Acrylic Paint Brushes

Acrylic paint dries very fast. To preserve the health of your paintbrushes it is extremely important to:

• Keep the bristles moist at all times while painting.
• Clean brushes promptly at the end of each painting session.

In This Article

1. Tips for Cleaning Your Brushes
2. How to Wash Acrylic Paint Brushes in 10 Steps
3. Emergency Solutions
4. How to Store Paint Brushes

Tip #1: Don't Let Acrylic Paint Dry on Brushes

Acrylic paint is easily washable with soap and water while wet, but, once dry, it becomes extremely difficult to remove.

If allowed to dry on the bristles, it can definitely ruin paintbrushes.

Tip #2: Act Fast (Time Is Money)

Don't wait for the paint to dry to clean your brushes. Act fast, and focus on preventing any damages. As an artist, brushes are your working tools. You must keep them in good conditions so that they are able to do their job.

By cleaning your brushes thoroughly, you extend their life and, in the end, save a lot of money in supplies, by not having to replace them.

Tip #3: Keep Your Brushes Moist

During your acrylic painting session, make sure to rinse any residual paint from your brushes before putting them down and keep them wet just in case there is any unseen residue of paint near the ferrule, you don't want it to dry, or your bristles will spread out and lose their shape.

When you change color paint or you switch to another brush, remove any excess paint with a paper towel and rinse the brush thoroughly, then lay the wet brush flat until you need it again.

Tip #4: Avoid Getting Excess Water in the Ferrule

Avoid keeping your brushes soaked in water for a long time, because this could lose or rust the ferrule and damage the handle.

For the same reason, wet brushes should be left to dry horizontally, not bristles up, or the water would drip down under the ferrule.

In general, you should never leave a brush standing on its hair for a long time, in water or during storage, because it may bend and lose its shape.

Tip #5: Consider the Environment

Acrylic paint is not good for the environment: Please avoid washing a big amount of paint down the drain. It is much better for the water system if you wipe off excess paint from brushes and your palette with a paper towel and throw it in the trash can.

Start cleaning by getting most of the paint off with a paper towel. Rub the bristles and the palette with some paper to collect as much paint as you can; then start washing.

More Tips

• Use Mild Soap. Avoid dish detergent or other types of aggressive soaps.
• Use Soap Sparingly. Not to be cheap, but because even the mild soap could dry and affect the brush bristles, plus it takes longer and more water to rinse.
• Rinse Well. Make sure there is no soap residue whatsoever at the last rinse, or your first paint-stroke with that brush will be "soapy".
• Absorb Excess Water with a rag, being gentle on the hair of the brush.
• Lay Wet Brushes Flat. Flat is the best way for a brush to dry. Do not leave the brushes standing on their tip, this may damage the tip and compromise the shape.

How to Wash Acrylic Paint Brushes in 10 Steps

1. Remove most of the paint from of your brushes using a paper towel or a rag.
2. Wet with warm water.
3. Load you wet brush with a mild soap. I often use liquid hand soap or a soap bar. They also sell specific brush cleaning soaps. Dish soap is too harsh and might dry up the bristles too much.
4. Rub the soapy brush on the palm of your hand, in circles.
5. Create enough foam to take off all residues of paint.
6. Massage the bristles with your fingers to get all the paint out from the middle of the hairs.
7. Rinse thoroughly and repeat until foam and water are clear.
8. Dry excess water with a rag, being gentle on the bristles.
9. Flat dry, making sure that hairs are not pushing against any obstacles that may bend them.
10. Once dry, store your brushes flat or bristle-up, to avoid bending of the hairs.

Emergency Solutions

Did you not clean your brushes and now they are all gummy and stiff? Once acrylic dries, it becomes plastic and it's very hard to peel it off porous or textured surfaces. However, there are some emergency solutions that you might want to try before tossing those brushes.

• Soak the bristles in ammonia, window cleaner, or even rubbing alcohol.
• Let them sit in a small quantity of liquid overnight, and the day after rub the paint off and wash them well with warm soapy water.

This will never restore them to be like new, but it might make them decent and workable. It's worth a try. You may have some success with these remedies, but be prepared to buy new brushes.