.On Vacation in Martinique................................................. April 2008
Cleaning Oil Paint Brushes: March 2008
You will need: 3 Mason jars with lids, heavy duty paper towels, odorless paint thinner and Murphy’s liquid oil soap. Do not use any plastic containers. Overtime the paint thinner will dissolve plastic and the container will start to leak and you won’t believe what a mess it will be!
There 3 parts to a brush: the handle, the bristles and a metal part called the ferrule which holds the bristles inside the handle. Never ever pull the bristles!
When you are ready to clean your brushes, first make sure to wipe off any excess paint with a paper towel. Pour some paint thinner in one jar and some liquid oil soap in the second jar. Protect your hands with either latex or vinyl gloves to prevent any toxicity to be absorbed by the skin. Also make sure there is good ventilation wherever you are working. Dip your brush into the jar with paint thinner and tap it several times against the bottom of the jar. As the bristles go far through the ferrule inside the handle, paint tends to collect there and you’ll need to remove as much of it as possible. After having wiped your brush with paper towel, dip your brush into the jar with liquid soap and repeat the same process as with the paint thinner solution. Finally run your brush through some water and towel dry it thoroughly, reshape it and let it dry onto a hard surface. Cover both jars with a lid.
Reuse both solutions. When they become too dirty pour both into a third jar which will become your “waste” jar. As with any hazardous material, dispose of it properly.
Never ever pour it down the drain. The mixture of paint, thinner and oil soap will create highly toxic goo which will clog your pipes and poison the environment.
Tip: Murphy’s liquid oil soap conditions brushes. When my brushes need to be conditioned I let them soak overnight in clean Murphy’s soap. Brushes become wonderfully soft again.
Yvette Stenzel
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