01 March 22 - Caring for your Paintbrushes after Use: 6 Legit Tips

Tips to Use Your Paintbrushes with Care.

If you're a homeowner and you are into DIY projects. Chances are you play around with paints and have some paintbrushes in your toolbox. Whether they are for touch-ups. Or creating a new colour on the wall, your brushes need proper care after use. So they last longer and don't get damaged. Read this blog post to learn more about how to care for them!

1. First, wash your brushes in cold water. The hot water heat can ruin the glue holding the bristles together and cause them to fall out. We also recommend washing the paintbrushes outside. Or over a bucket with a lid on them so that you do not create more work for you by cleaning up after this step! Using soap is fine at this point because you will rinse off all of the remnants later anyway.

2. Second, let your brush dry naturally instead of using an electric blower. Fast-drying times can cause stress fractures in the handle. It can lead to worse problems down the road. Such as splinters and broken handles when trying to use these tools next time around! Once your brush is dry, it's time to inspect the bristles. If the brush is still stiff and challenging to work with. You can use a blower again for a few seconds on each side of the bristle area before using them again. This will ensure that your brushes are softer next time around.

3. Third, clean out any old paint. Or flaking from previous projects by cleaning with hot water mixed with dish soap. Your sponge should be sufficient enough for this step. But if not, then you should try getting an abrasive scrub pad as well. For stubborn spots, we recommend just leaving them overnight. So that you do not risk further damage while trying to get rid of these stains immediately.

4. Fourth, make sure you clean your paintbrushes with a solvent after each use. This will ensure that they do not have any oils. Or residue from the last project on them. It can cause future problems while using these tools for new projects. And keeping them in good condition. Try not to leave solvents sitting in an open container though. Because otherwise, it will evaporate pretty quickly, which makes this step somewhat tricky. If you don't know how much time has passed since you've last cleaned your brush. Try putting some into a small container and using it as needed instead.

5. Fifth, keep your paintbrushes in a container with the bristles facing down. So that they can dry out properly and do not become mildewed. Keeping them in their original packaging also helps big time! It protects them from damage while you're traveling between projects! Some people recommend keeping these tools upright. But we have found it to be more effective to make use of the original packaging.

6. Sixth, clean your brush with acetone if the bristles are starting to separate or fall out. If you've been using these tools for a while. And you notice that they aren't performing as good as before. This is likely due to old paint being stuck in the hair of each bristle. It usually causes it not to be flexible enough when trying them on new projects! You should only need one time through with this solvent. But if more than one use occurs. We recommend replacing the brushes so that you do not have further damage down the road. This step is best performed outside because it can get quite smelly otherwise.

Conclusion.

We hope that this blog post has helped you understand the steps you need to take when caring for your paintbrushes. If you don't already have a brush box with all of the essentials on hand, then it might be time to invest in one! We're always here to answer any questions and provide more information about our products or services if needed.

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