How to clean a paint brush

If you have invested in a high quality paint brush you will need to know how to clean the bush properly. The first thing you will want to do is remove as much paint from the brush prior to cleaning. The best way to do this is to gently scrape the brush along the top of the paint can squeezing as much remaining paint out as you can. Next you will want to find out which is the appropriate solvent to use for cleaning the brush. If you are using oil based paint you will want to use paint thinner or mineral spirits. If the paint is water based you will want to use water. Next, you will dip the brush in a bucket of the appropriate solvent. Stir the brush in the solvent and scrape the bristles along the top of the bucket. The best tool for this step is a brush comb. A brush comb is able to separate the bristles and make removing any excess paint much easier. After you have removed as much excess paint as possible you will want to run the brush under warm water in order to remove any remaining paint or solvents. Once the water starts running clear then you know you have removed all of the paint. The final step is to dry the brush. To do this you will want to shake the brush and blot the brush on a rag. Doing this will remove any remains water.

How to Clean Paint Brushes Correctly – Bob Vila