Finishing up a paint job can be one of the most rewarding and exciting moments for any homeowner. However, making sure that you carefully clean and store your brushes and tools for the next project will be an incredibly important step that all too often gets overlooked. Unfortunately, running your brushes under the faucet for a few minutes simply isn’t enough to ensure that you get rid of all that unused paint. Leaving it on the brush can completely destroy its integrity and force you to have to buy new all over again the next time that you decide to paint. Here is a step-by-step guide that you should follow that will guarantee that you have sparkling clean brushes each and every time.
- Scrape Off All Excess Paint
While you might think that this is a pointless and repetitive step, in reality, making sure that there is as little paint on the brush once you actually start washing will be incredibly important. Having too much paint on the brush can make it difficult for the water to actually pass through and reach the bristles (or the sponge, depending on your tool preference) and even leaving a little bit of residue behind can end up seriously affecting the quality of the brush later on.
- Wash the Brush in Soapy Water
The next step will be to fill a pail with soapy water in which you can thoroughly wash out the tools. Make sure that you get your hands into the pail and work out all the paint with your fingers. You’ll be easily able to note how different a clean brush feels compared to one that is still covered in paint. Once you feel that the smooth — even slimy — feel of the paint has been completely removed, you can take the brushes out of the water.
- Rinse Brushes
Once the paint has been completely removed, you’ll want to discard the used soapy water and replace it with clear, clean water where you’ll be able to rinse off the brushes in order to ensure that you’ve actually removed all the paint product. Once again, use your fingers to work through the bristles so you can be sure that every particle of paint has been removed.
- Wrap and Store the Brushes
Once you’re absolutely sure that all the paint has been removed and that the brushes have been left clean, you’ll want to take the brushes and wrap them in a heavy paper such as newspaper or painter’s paper, which you will then tie loosely with a string. This will be an incredibly important step that gets forgotten about much too often. Wrapping the brushes not only ensures that dust and dirt particles are kept away from the brushes while they are stored but it will also help guarantee that the brushes hold their shape so that they work just as well the next time that you go to use them.
Being able to take care of your own paint projects can be an extremely rewarding experience for any homeowner. However, you need to make sure that you’re able to properly store your brushes and tools so you can take care of these projects time and time again. Keep these steps in mind so that you can have fresh, clean brushes each and every time.
Marc Poulos began his real estate and financial services career, but he soon realized that his true passion was beautifying homes. He started working with various small craftsman shops before serving an apprenticeship with the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Chicago. His commitment to excellence won him Top Apprentice from Washburne trade school in Chicago – the country’s premier school of its kind.
