# Brush Cleaner



## mblosik (Jan 3, 2009)

hey everyone;
has anyone found a great way to clean brushes besides the usual run under water, spin out with cover/brush spinner?
i want something that will basically let you set it and forget it; i.e. something electric would be great. they have cleaners for artist brushes, but i'm talking about something that lets you clean three inch sashes and above. any ideas?
i know a lot of people just throw them out; but i find that the brushes i use are expensive, and it seems a bit wasteful to throw something out that was obviously intended for more than one use.


----------



## nEighter (Nov 14, 2008)

I throw mine in TSP and leave em for a bit.. day or two and clean them with a wire brush afterward.. and put them back in if they need more. I have had good results by doing this.. latex paint.. not sure about oil based.


----------



## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

Be careful soaking the handles in TSP longer than overnight. It will shrink the wood like you wouldnt believe.


----------



## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

If I have a brush that has some dried paint left on it, I put it to use at a wallpaper job. Use it in the paste for a bit. W/C paste will soften and eat off any latex left on a brush.

As for some automated cleaner, never heard of nor seen one.


----------



## inthefinish (Jan 12, 2009)

nEighter said:


> I throw mine in TSP and leave em for a bit.. day or two and clean them with a wire brush afterward.. and put them back in if they need more. I have had good results by doing this.. latex paint.. not sure about oil based.


m.e.k.


----------



## nEighter (Nov 14, 2008)

you are absolutely correct! Forgot about that!!!


----------



## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

M.E.K. will kill a brush. Melt the bristles and all. Good luck with that.


----------



## inthefinish (Jan 12, 2009)

ProWallGuy said:


> M.E.K. will kill a brush. Melt the bristles and all. Good luck with that.


Whah?!

We use M.E.K. to clean brushes on a daily and I've yet to see one burn.


----------



## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

You are talking methyl ethyl ketone right? If you are, what the hell you painting with that makes you need to clean a brush with that stuff? You know the health risks of the crap, right? Yikes!


----------



## inthefinish (Jan 12, 2009)

ProWallGuy said:


> You are talking methyl ethyl ketone right? If you are, what the hell you painting with that makes you need to clean a brush with that stuff? You know the health risks of the crap, right? Yikes!


Yeah, it's a mean world out there. I'm on the industrial side, a lot of the time, where if you're not careful while "bringing home the bacon", you could come home looking like bacon.

M.E.K. may be a little hotter than what some of you guys need but it'll do the trick.


----------



## nEighter (Nov 14, 2008)

yes it does. When we coated the clarifier tanks we used the hell outta that stuff, and my partner was an old timer who sleeps with a bottle of the stuff on his nightstand.. (no not really, but washes his hands in it all day long) that stuff takes DRIED paint off clothes like it was never there. :blink: extremely hot. BUT to get the paint out of brushes, can see how it would work well. I don't know bout the longevity of the brushes.. but it would get the paint out! :thumbup: :lol:


----------



## stansoph (Dec 16, 2007)

I have a Safety Clean parts washer in my garage that I used to use for cleaning car parts, etc.. I had the guy service it with fresh Varsol and use it to clean my brushes. I might use 4 or 5 different brushes in a day and the cost of thinner is out of sight now. I get a steady stream of Varsol coming out of the nozzle and can get all the brushes clean without all the dipping and wasted thinner. I go from the parts washer, spin, dunk in laquer thinner, spin and put on the jacket. When the solvent in the tank is too saturated I call the guy;he comes, changes out the fluid and I am good to go.

http://www.safety-kleen.com/CustomerCenter/shopnow/Pages/ProductsDetailParts.aspx?ItemID=6522


For latex brushes I wish they made an ultrasonic cleaner big enough to hang the brushes in, turn it on and get clean brushes after the cycle. I have one that I use to clean handguns in and it is awesome.


----------



## Boden Painting (Dec 27, 2007)

I put my latex brushes in the dishwasher, top shelf.


----------



## TopShelf (Nov 23, 2008)

For latex I use fabric softener. First rinse out most of the paint in plain water then use about 1 cup fabric softener in a gallon of water. I soak for a few minutes while I clean up other things, then go back and finish up. I also condition my brushes before use by dunking them in the same and then spinning them. Fabric softener is a surfactant (probably could use it to help paint level out too, but I haven't tried).

For alkd, I just use mineral spirits.


----------



## carlpainter (Nov 19, 2015)

I use a paint cleaning tool. Chemicals are bad for the environment.


----------



## I paint paint (May 4, 2014)

Welcome to PT carlpainter.

I hope you jump into some of the threads currently being discussed.

Hit the "New Posts" button up top.


----------



## TKbrush (Dec 30, 2014)

At this point, i have quite a few brushes w paint residue caked in the back of brushes. I notice that w the corona chinex bristles, the flagging or actual original diameter of the bristles do not look the same. I dont know if the wire brush is wearing them out or what. But i am gonna try a windex or ammonia soak, from what ive heard and read on here, to try and keep them going as ceiling and primer brushes.


----------



## radio11 (Aug 14, 2015)

I'm retired from a fire department--also paramedic and hazmat team. We always called MEK methyl ethyl kill you quick. 

I've used it sparingly over the years when working with SW Acrolon or similar. It's good stuff, but not necessary for standard waterborne or oil based paints. After cleaning a million brushes, you eventually just clean your brushes and quit looking for some utopian method. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

