Carolynburger’s Blog

By: www.carolynburger.com

Dec 20 2010

Tags: acrylic paint, clean brushes, how to clean brushes, oil paint

Category: Acrylic Paints, Artist, painting, Uncategorized

Leave a Comment

I painted for about seven years with no real answer as to what was the best type of soap to clean my paint brushes.  I tried many different cleaners and bar soaps recommended by other artists and advertised in art magazines.  None really did the job well.  My brushes felt sticky or gummy at times after they dried.  Then I read what really worked well.  I believe it was in a question and answer section of an art magazine.

The best soap for cleaning oil or acrylic brushes is one of the favorite dishwashing liquids that so many people use – DAWN!  Yes, Dawn Dishwashing Liquid is my favorite soap to clean my paint brushes.  Once I first tried it, I stuck with it.  First I rinse each brush with water.  Then I put a substantial amount of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid in a clean container and swish each brush in the soap so that the hairs of the brush are saturated with the soap.  If necessary, I rub the brush hairs with my fingers.  Then I usually put water in the same container holding the Dawn liquid soap and let the brushes soak in this soapy solution for 1-5 minutes.  Then I take the brushes out of the solution, rinse them with clear running water until there is no trace of soap and then shake out the water from the brushes.

To dry the brushes, it is better to lay them down to dry.  If you have the brushes dry standing up in a holder, the water will run down into the metal part called the ferrule.  After a while , the hairs of the brush and metal piece  may get lose.  And you don’t want this!    So I pat the water off the entire paint brush with a paper towel, and lay my just washed brushes flat  on a clean paper town to dry.

I use acrylic and water soluble oils.  Dawn Dishwashing Liquid is great for cleaning these paints off  my brushes.

I hope this information is helpful to you.