How do you clean paint brushes?

[Geoff]

I reckon there are two methods.

1. Old style gloss paint – wash in White Spirit then wash this off with neat washing up liquid followed by hot water and more washing up liquid.
2. More modern formulations – straight to the washing up liquid process without the White Spirit.

This week I used some Crown Solo One Coat Satin Black that says “Clean in hot detergent solution”. Well I washed it many times with washing up liquid until the water ran clear but the next morning the brush was hard and I have so far not found anything to soften it.

I found a Crown website and a “contact us” so I emailed them, as you do, and got this reply :
“In reply to your recent enquiry via our website our recommendation for cleaning the brushes is to use a detergent not washing up liquid as this is only a soap.”
Well I thought washing up liquid was a detergent so I replied asking for clarification and got “by detergent we mean a washing detergent”.

Any chemists out there more advanced than my 40 years past education?

[John]

Hello Geoff
Methinks you're being given the runaround by these people! They clearly don't know their soaps and detergents from their a***s.

When I have a brush that won't clean up too well I dip just the bristles in paint stripper (Nitromors water washable) for about half an hour then rinse off in warm water with a little washing-up liquid - this usually does the trick.

I've tried a few of these modern paints in the past, though not your one, and must say that none come anywhere near to the results you can get from primer/undercoat/topcoat work.

John

PS When cleaning brushes used for gloss type work with white spirit, I give them a final rinse in clean solvent then let them them off naturally. The bristles keep their shape better, stay more supple and take up the paint well next time I use them.

[Chantal]

Hi Geoff.

I'm with John on this one and I can't imagine what's in the paint that white spirit and washing up liquid won't shift.

When my brushes are drying I also put a loose elastic band around the bristles to make sure they dry in a straight line

[richard p]

i find wrapping a used brush in a plastic bag will keep it good for several days, at the end of the job bin it, same with rollers for emulsion they fit in a supermarket bag nicely.
toolstation.com do a pack of 50 assorted brushes for £9.83.... it aint worth the cost of the white spirit to bother trying to clean them,

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Richard, i remember years ago, saying that to an old timer painter and decorator as a joke, i have to say it fell upon stony ground.

[Tigger]

When I clean my brushes, I wrap them up tightly in kitchen towel, folding the top over so they are like a babe in a swaddling cloth, if you see what I mean. That keeps them dry and in good shape for future use, after the full cleaning by spirit or detergent, of course.

I've tried using cheap brushes and discarding them, but they just don't give a good finish. Better to look after good quality brushes.

[Geoff]

Well last night I used some more of the paint and washed the brush in Tesco NonBio Liquid Detergent and it is still soft this morning so the email advice was sound. I have replied to tell them so but also pointed out that I cannot find anybody who doesn't think washing up liquid is a detergent or anybody who would think of using laundry liquid for brush cleaning. I also quoted Wikipedia:
"Dishwashing liquid is a detergent used to assist in dishwashing. It is also known as dishwashing soap or dish soap, and washing-up liquid in the UK. It is usually a highly-foaming mixture of surfactants with low skin irritation, and is primarily used for hand washing of glasses, plates, cutlery and cooking utensils in a sink or bowl. In Europe, popular brands include Fairy Liquid (made by Procter & Gamble). In the United States, popular brands include Palmolive[1], made by the Colgate-Palmolive Company, and Dawn[2], Joy[3], and Ivory[4], all made by Procter & Gamble."
I agree with John that you need "proper" paint for a proper finish, did that to my cast iron gutters and downspouts this summer - I don't like Hammerite. Like Richard I thought when I bought a new container recently White Spirit had gone very expensive but like Tigger I think you need a good brush for a good finish. Life is just too complicated!

[Shallot Man]

Years ago in the Docks, the ship painters after cleaning their brushes, would smear their hands with vaseline and then run their hands over the bristles. shallotman

[John]

Hello again Geoff
I'd noticed that white spirit had got a lot more expensive, like all oil-based stuff.
I always used to throw white spirit away (not down the drain) after use but a friend who is a pro decorator told me you don't need to do this. He says to tip the used stuff into an old spirit container, leave it for a few days so the pigment settles out and you can use the clear top layer of solvent again and again. Just chuck out the bottom layer every so often. Works well and you get a lot more mileage out of a container this way.

Time to get back to some serious gardening now!

John

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Shallot Man, thankyou for that very useful tip, i will be using it if we ever get any ships to paint in Milton Bryan.

Sorry about that, but you know what i'm like.

[Shallot Man]

Suggest you check "LLOYDS SHIPPING "list, I found it most beneficial in the past. shallotman

[Geoff]

My last word on the subject perhaps - I looked at the contents lists for the major ingredients of the two products:
Washing up liquid
Anionic Surfactants 15-30%
Nonionic Surfactants 5-15%
Amphoteric Surfactant less than 5%
Laundry liquid
Phosphonate less than 5%
Nonionic, Anionic Surfactant 5-15%
Soap 15-30%

If you remember washing up liquid doesn't work because it is a soap whereas laundry liquid......aghh!