How To Properly Clean a Paint Brush

[@karenjjx]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge in most genuine way.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

You are most welcome! Thanks for watching! 😃

[@azilmae]

You deserve more subscribers. I’m learning a lot!! Thank you

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Haha, thanks! I appreciate that. I'll keep making videos and we'll see what happens :)

[@katrinaknotts1788]

This was great! I wish I had this video a few weeks ago when I was painting a friends office. We definitely left the brushes until they started getting dry, only used cold water, threw away those covers that we had no idea were supposed to be kept. Great tips for future reference! Loved the editing! Gus is adorable :-)

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Thanks for watching! I've ruined many-a-good brush over the years so I feel yah! ...And Gus was quite cooperative :)

[@BerlyJ]

I was today years old when I learned all this helpful info! I never knew! Thank you!

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Hahaha, you are most welcome!

[@YesiPleb]

I have a large dog and always have poo bags with me, bunch of them in the car. If I need to rest a brush for a bit I place it inside one of these and wrap the top of the bag tight around the handle. I've had them wrapped for a good couple hours (oil and water based) and been able to clean the brush thoroughly afterwards. Definitely a lot easier than wrapping with cling film although that is best for the large brushes. If I'm working out I like to bag my brushes and clean them at home. The Best thing I bought recently was from B&Q (UK) which is a little tray designed to assist in cleaning brushes and at one end has a triangular-shaped raised row of "slices" that go through the bristles of the brush. At 9:47 that's how I dry my brushes out all the time.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Poo bags would definitely work. We’ve gotten pretty speedy using cling wrap, but we also use it for a few other things in our work flow.

[@MartinParnham]

I've got one of those B&Q tubs! They are also handy for soaking and storing away brushes. I've also used a cheap plastic comb to get pain out of the bottom of the bristles by the heel.

[@AntonVanDerSar]

I love your choice of background music!!

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Thanks! I try and go with interesting stuff but I don’t want it to be distracting

[@johnhughes3963]

Great tip..we use newspaper or grocery bags..even for our rollers. The roller Keeper by obvious solutions works great if you will be in the same color for a week, month, etc. Great product.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

I'll check out that roller keeper. Thanks John!

[@clarkg9805]

I haven't been good to my brushes : ( Thanks for the teaching video, very helpful.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

It happens to me too. I’ve been trying to be better about cleaning them out the same day that I finished using them.

[@elizabethc9832]

I've been using plastic store bags for paint brushes overnight, but love the idea of cling wrap because I usually have up to 4 brushes going and the plastic wrap would make it SO easy to see which brush it is without unwrapping. There were so many great tips in this video. I'm always trying to learn better and easier ways. Thanks!

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

We love the cling wrap. Thanks for the kind words!

[@thecustompainter1564]

Try@thebrushtote for storing your brushes

[@Wotan-Born]

Pro Tip-- Once my brush is cleaned and the bristles are fairly dry and before it goes back into it’s holder I always spray a tiny bit of WD-40 on the bristles and work It in to the form. Keeps all my brushes clean, nicely formed and the handle conditioned.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Interesting. I’ve never tried that but I’ll give it a go. 🤙

[@1whitecottagelife770]

What people don't know is that WD40 is a cleaner

[@jcraff3]

This wouldn’t create an issue when hitting the next paint job?

[@number1pappy]

Good video! Ive got into the habit of giving my brushes a qwick dip into mineral spirits after cleaning with hot water. I got into this habit after noticing that my brushes were stiff after drying after using a hybrid paint like advance trim paint. Whats really nice about using mineral spirits even after laytex is that it removes even the dried paint high on the bristles. 😊

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

That’s a good move, especially with the hybrids. I’ve tried other brush cleaners with mixed results. Mineral spirits is still the best 🫡

[@arifmunshi6833]

Actually some practical tips in there. Many thanks

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

You are most welcome 🫡

[@pjmlegrande]

Genius level stuff, man! Thank yew kindly

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Hahaha, my genius knows no bounds. I’m glad you found it useful! 🧐

[@cblankenship3018]

I like the wire brush. Going to get one. The wrap is a great pro tip so you can wait until the end of the job for just one brush clean. Less waist paint in the environment that way! I have a septic, so I hate washing paint down the drains. I like to use a dry paper towel or two to get as much paint off of the brush as I can before the sink clean. Then throw the towels and a most of the paint in the trash. Latex in the pipes can’t be good for sewer or septic systems?

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Latex in large quantities is definitely not good for your septic system, but the amount of latex that you'd be washing off of your brushes would be minimal. Latex is water soluble so as long as you rinsed the brush thoroughly with water you'll be good. I just wouldn't recommend dumping gallons of paint down the drain 😬

[@coachbriantrains]

Very helpful. Thank you!

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

You are most welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@ffwemtiv]

Jeremy, have you ever used KrudKutter to clean your brushes? I'll give mine a cursory rinse, then soak just the bristles for about 5-10 min. After that, I hit 'em with a Wooster brush comb and brass wire brush which gets rid of nearly all traces of dried paint. Then i spin dry with a Shure-Line 5200C brush and roller spinner. Cheers

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

I’ve used crud cutter for certain things. Usually I don’t need it for washing out the acrylics that we use. I have a different method for washing out brushes that have been used for hybrids. In that case I use dish detergent and hand sanitizer to clear the resins out of the brush

[@justindearmond1]

i use plastic grocery bags...they work great for brush/roller wrapping and are free. will keep longer if put in the fridge or so ive heard, not sure if thats true or not as i dont like putting off cleaning them. They can even be used to cover a 5 gallon bucket. sometimes ill drop the screen and roller in the paint and put a bag over it, you have to stretch them some but will work, then i put a folded up drop or a lid on it...sometimes a wet rag in a pinch for extra protection. painter for 25 years. all brushes will splay or 'finger' out eventually. putting water down the bristiles is a must when working with brushes outside in the heat all day. they just wont come clean otherwise. I use a brush comb as well as a wire brush and clean the brush until when i squeeze them the water runs clear...if the water is cloudy in my hand i keep going. then spin the brush well, a brush spinner makes it way easier(that being said ive yet to buy one!). put it back in its cover. If you use the brush every day it wont last too long as it needs to dry out well before being used again, but that cant be helped sometimes especially when a 3in Corona Silk green bristle is over 30 dollars.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Thanks for the feedback Justin. We've definitely used grocery bags before.

[@donnaanderson3857]

Thanks for the info

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

You are most welcome! 😁

[@alirios2241]

I had a nice cut in brush that was my first one i bought and i ruined it.. this video is what i needed for the one im going to buy thanks!!!

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Glad we could help Ali. Good luck in your next project!

[@MAGAMAN]

I just use an old plastic shopping bag. I actually had a brush and a roller I forgot about in my garage for about a month and they were both fine.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Cool story.

[@fairamir1]

To ge tthe water out I do not use the whip method, I bang against a tree and then swip fast back and forth to remove all water. Also rubbing the brussh quickly over q chair link fence works great.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

That’s a solid move 🤙

[@cardo1111]

Very well done vid, with some excellent tips 👍🏽 I have also found pumice based hand-cleaner and scotch brite type pads to be helpful, but I can see you were careful with the wire brush. Any tips on cleaning out mildly heel hardened brushes that were used for latex paint?

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Thanks for the comment! I like those scotch brite pads too. We use those for a wide variety of things. As far as cleaning out a hardened brush, I've tried a few things. There are certain brush conditioners that you can soak a brush in and then clean out. To be honest I've never had much success from bringing a brush back to life once the bristles harden to a certain point. I usually use my crappier brushes as oil priming brushes until they give up the ghost. Good luck!

[@don-eq8fo]

Soak the brush with all the bristles in alcohol in a glass for about 30-60 minutes. Alcohol will soften latex paint. Use a brush comb and wire brush to finish softening the heel of the brush. Repeat another time if necessary. Then wash with soap and water to finish cleaning.

[@easypainterslondon]

good info quality work

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Thanks for watching!

[@markmarz]

Thanks!

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

No problem!

[@josiegustemahana799]

Great vid!

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Thanks Josie!

[@therobertburton1969]

LOVE THIS! Thank you!!! "This is Gus the Dog... he's gonna be super pumped when he doesn't get a bath like he thinks he's gonna get." 😂🤣😂

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

You are welcome and Gus was pretty stoked when he had that realization 😄

[@MAGAMAN]

So you are happy that he was needlessly torturing his dog?

[@jonathangaliano2617]

Really enjoying your videos lately! Wondering if you could offer some advice about Corona brushes. I've only ever used Purdy and last year came across Corona as I was searching around online. I've been wanting to give them a try and just found out a local store 2 minutes from me now carries them. Hoping for some suggestions as to which model to try. I am specifically looking for one for interior latex painting only. Hoping to find one stiff enough to cut nice lines on a wall but not so stiff that it will leave brush marks on trim because I'd like to use it for window/door trim and baseboards as well. Thanks!

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

My absolute favorite brush is the Corona Cortez. I get them in the 2 1/2 inch and 2 inch variety. They are sashed (which means they have an angle to them), and they are awesome for interior painting. The bristles are dense, feather out nicely, and will maintain a clean edge. Brushes can come down to personal preference, but the Corona Cortez brushes are what all my guys and I prefer. They also cost the same as a high-end Purdy brush, so its not really about the cost. I'll probably be making a video about brushes in the not too distant future, but there you go. Good luck!

[@pattydowell3839]

Great Video. Just came across your page and love it! This video you posted 2 amazon links for the Corona cortez brush 2 and 2 1/2. In the paint brush descriptions they say paint type Oil. I mostly use latex paint. Can I still use either brush with interior latex paint? Thanks in advance for your response.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

The 2 1/2 inch corona Cortez is still my go-to brush, especially for wall paint. You can use it for latex or oil-based products. I’m also a big fan of the 2 1/2 inch Corona Vegas for trim and doors.

[@Alllllll2]

When you use hot water, will it not make only worse? That can make paint to dry faster or get some chemical reaction that will make paint stay on brush? No?

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

In my experience it doesn’t make it worse. The warmer the water the easier it is to clean the brush out.

[@theembroideryzone]

You're funny, thanks man.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

I'm glad you think so. I hope it was helpful 😁

[@G0F15H]

Before I start, I spray a little silicone mold release on the brush and tray/pail. The paint come off easier where it happens to dry

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

That’s a good move!

[@nathanielb1499]

Comb your bristles before placing in keeper

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Yezzir

[@ChannelBri]

I have soaked many brushes in water, no swelling. Used to work for an old timer painter, he soaked all brushes on the way home from jobs, now swelling

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Then keep on keeping on 🫡

[@johnjohn-ne8fw]

Great information provided with on the job experience. What's with the trolling here. How can anyone say "pros don't use angle brushes". Give me a break 🤡

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

It’s a thing old Fudds say.

[@fenceman7067]

Do you use Liners in your handy Paint Bucket or how do you clean them out

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

We do use liners. Sometimes we clean them out or we empty them and just let them dry and reuse them.

[@fenceman7067]

@@SuperVassarBrothers thanks man

[@georgecataulin907]

Does it matter if you use warm or cold water?

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

I like using the warmest water my hands can tolerate

[@DAMON409]

Those cardboard cases will get soggy and fall apart because you cant dry a brush completely. Ive gotten into habit of wrapping it in a bit of plastic before putting it in the case.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

The covers will fall apart eventually. Just depends on how soon you put the brush back into its cover.

[@DAMON409]

@@SuperVassarBrothers sure, but i doubt you want to wait an hour or two after your shift.

[@kostas_wellknown4519]

How much does it cost the brush over there in usa ? I prefer to say in euro coin! Thank you very much

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Hi there. We pay around $13 per brush but we buy in bulk. On Amazon they are $20 USD. Corona Cortez are our favorites. Purdy and Wooster are other alternatives which costs between $10 - $18.

[@AntonVanDerSar]

@@SuperVassarBrothers wooster=worthless just yesterday, I opened EVERY SINGLE 3" angled Wooster at HD and couldn't find a single one that was satisfactory. Splayed, misaligned bristles galore. I showed the folks at the desk when I noticed them noticing me opening a couple dozen brushes (and putting each one back, of course.) They were appalled at the poor quality and said they were going to return them all as defective....they were that bad. Went to Lowe's and got a Purdy. Opened 5 and all were nearly perfect. Picked the best.

[@cmiller120392]

The metal part is called the Ferrule.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Noted 👍

[@steveblan1512]

What material is best for brushes

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

I’m not sure what you mean by material. I like Corona Cortez brushes for just about everything.

[@steveblan1512]

@@SuperVassarBrothers ty. That is what I was asking

[@thecustompainter1564]

It should be stressed the importance of drying the brush before placing it into the cover. Otherwise the moisture will ruin the cover. A brush with no cover= a dust brush. Brushes should also be hung up to dry bristles facing down.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

I’m with you on the hanging brushes bristles down for drying, however I prefer putting my brushes into the covers when they’re slightly moist. I find that that helps the bristles reform a proper sashed angle. I also have quite a few extra covers so I’m not concerned about them getting wet.

[@mandydennert2520]

I was holding my ear to the ipad checking where the sound came from all of a sudden during the wrapping of the brush

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

hahaha, yeah this is an older video of mine. We've increased the music volume in more recent videos.

[@jackwardley3626]

water based paints especially high end acrylics very tough to clean and maintain brushes oil based paint and oil brushes much easier to clean and maintain brushes

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

You must really enjoy paint thinner…

[@tazejared7613]

I’ve been a professional painter for almost 10 years. All jokes aside, I’d say you’d be a good teacher for homeowners, but if any new painter were to take all your tips and apply them to the job they probably wouldn’t last long with us lol. Not even kidding, everyone who showed up to our job with an angled brush only lasted a day. Of course everyone has their own opinion, but either you’re new to this yourself, or you must work for a very custom crew that does very precise work

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Hi TaZe. We've been doing this for over 15 years (my brother and myself own the business) and we prefer the angled brush because most of our work requires precision in residential repaints (our lines were worse with flat brushes). Over the years we've hired over 10 different subcontractors/crews for various jobs and some had over 30 years painting experience. Every crew had their own methods and used different brushes. Anywhere from 1.5" angled to 3" flat. Fastest contractor we hired used a 2" angled brush and he was precise. We might not cut it in your crew, but you might not cut it in ours. I have found each crew has their strengths and weaknesses and cater to different types of projects. I'm sure you guys have your niche and excel in it, as do we. Our channel is catered to help DIYers tackle paint projects. The Idaho Painter is a good resource for pro painters. Have a good one.

[@aaronaldrich4317]

Haha he's pretty good but that's not how you clean a brush everybody does throw that b**** in a bucket shake it out let's go let's go you're fired

[@AntonVanDerSar]

@@SuperVassarBrothers What a gentlemanly reply. I admire your restraint. He lost me at "you must do very precise work..." Ummmm. Yeah, bro. Precision is part of the job smh. Day 1 stuff, dude. The 101 course. Maybe he's doing new construction and can afford to be sloppy?? I hated new construction. I prefer the precision work and satisfaction I get from laying a perfect cut. Also, that pompous attitude wouldn't last 5 minutes with me. Go kick out your brush, ya dolt.

[@alexandrepiche5609]

Not every painting job is a commercial job. Some jobs require actual skills and precision over finishing an entire room in three hours.

[@debrarivera6271]

Thanks: this video helped me out how to clean the paint brush, I'm tired of losing money throwing them in the trash.

[@AdroitRoger]

Brush cleaning a brush

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

haha. thanks Roger

[@Ryan-wt1xb]

Or use a spinner.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

I am the spinner

[@AntonVanDerSar]

watching a couple brush cleaning vids to settle a jobsite debate (and support my arguments)....can't believe that I'm 4 videos in and NOBODY has mentioned a brush spinner.....smh

[@jeffreyhurst9552]

I can’t believe you’re wearing black watch bands. Don’t you end up with light paint stains on them? Latex gloves maybe? I hate cleaning brushes and will generally just throw them away, I realize that isn’t cheap when you are a professional painter. Thanks.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Hahaha, so the one on my left wrist is an Ironman Timex watch which has been my work watch of choice for about 20 years. I've been through several and yes they all get covered in paint speckles 😬. That other band was a whoop strap that I was messing with, but i wasn't a huge fan. Anyways, thanks for watching and commenting! I hope the video was helpful!

[@tjwadsworth6967]

Also buying new ones means there are never any in stock when we need 'em! 😡

[@tommyhaynes9157]

Note: if you're doing a paint job that last two days or more you don't need to clean the brush every day. Just put it in a plastic bag with a lot of paint on it and place in in the refrigerator

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Hi Tommy, thanks for the tip. We like using Saran wrap too. Didn't know about the refrigerator. Thanks!

[@googglekonto7741]

what about wooster brushes.is thay beter

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Hi. We like Corona Cortez the best. I'm sure Wooster brushes would work fine tho. Good luck!

[@googglekonto7741]

@@SuperVassarBrothers thanks.i am from Europe and i can't find it.too bad

[@arthur962]

They do make spinners.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

They do indeed, I’ve just never liked them

[@arthur962]

@@SuperVassarBrothers why not? Brushes and rollers clean as a whistle.

[@babycanari5]

❤😂❤

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Thanks

[@randyisafilmer]

Enjoy the content but all the paid comments are disappointing and bit of a turnoff

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying? Are you saying that I've paid people to comment? I most certainly have not done that. I don't even know why that would be a thing. I don't make any money on people commenting. That's not how it works. If that's not what you mean, then my bad.

[@randyisafilmer]

@@SuperVassarBrothers I'm saying it seems like you've paid a service that provides artificial engagement with your channel. Comments don't make you money directly, but they contribute to your ranking within the YT algorithms and hence facilitate growing your channel, which I'm sure you know. But hey maybe you just have a lot of genuine fans that leave generic positive comments nonspecific to the content of the video, who am I to say

[@littlemissy8356]

No washing brushes in the sink because of the pipes. Use pan to catch water and throw out. This is hard to watch. he also doesn't say to put water on the brush before starting painting. That is key.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Respectfully, I don’t believe that’s the case with pipes. The latex paints are water based so they break down fine in drains. If the drain runs through a pump then that’s a different story. Also oil based products get washed with thinner outside. Again, with modern formulations there’s no need to pre-wet a brush. I don’t know any professionals that do that. I like my brush as dry as possible before I start cutting. But if it works for you then keep on keeping on 🤙

[@MAGAMAN]

Buy a brush and roller spinner for $8 and you will get most of the water out of your brush in less time with less effort. Any professional painter that doesn't have one is not a professional painter, but a youtube poser.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

I guess you found me out. I’ll inform all of clients immediately

[@tazejared7613]

I’ve never seen a real professional painter use an angled brush

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Well now you have :)

[@AntonVanDerSar]

that's the silliest thing I've heard in a LONG time. I don't know any pro painters who regularly use flats - full stop. standard rollers, weenie rollers and 3" angled brushes are practically the only 3 paint applicators I ever use or see in use (and sprayers, of course!). Most pros do just about everything with a 3" angled.

[@tazejared7613]

Sounds like you did more time learning about the trade than actually doing the trade

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

Fake news :)

[@daddypapi3842]

Hi, what is your favorite brush (Corona Cortez or Corona Vegas) to paint trim & doors with Sherwin-Williams Trim semi-gloss paint. Thank you.

[@SuperVassarBrothers]

The Corona Cortez is my current favorite. The Vegas is nice for certain specialty applications, but the Cortez is awesome for trim, doors, walls and pretty much everything else. If you like a squared off brush then give the Monterey a try.