✨TOP HACK!!!✨ Clean DISTRESS OXIDE blending brushes in MINUTES!!

[@LouCollins]

COMMON QUESTIONS ANSWERED: YES, alcohol solutions do have the potential to dissolve the glue on your bristles. Notice I am not fully submerging the brush heads but dipping the bristle ends in only. Please only take this as a suggestion and clean your brushes using this method at your own risk. Ensure you give the handles a wipe down afterwards to remove any alcohol from them, particularly plastic or resin handles. Where some soaps and water can also clean up ink brushes well, I have personally found this to be the fastest method, particularly if I want to use my brush again almost immediately.

[@7tracey7]

I use rubbing alcohol but just put some on a paper towel and rub the brush on that. You say you're not submerging the brush heads but it really appears that you are. Obviously it's up to you what you & everyone does, but personally I wouldn't get the base of the bristles wet to avoid dissolving the glue

[@honig2sassi]

I think the alcohol will eventually dissolve the glue holding the bristles in place so I wouldn’t use it. I have a silicone brush scrubber and just use either shampoo or dish washing liquid.

[@mitzi66]

I was thinking the same.

[@cherylthompson3882]

I bet if you put the alcohol in a shallow dish and avoid getting alcohol near the glue (the ink isn’t that far up anyway or if it is it’s not going to impede your use of the brush) it would work fine. Plus soapy water is much worse for softening glue because it takes so long to dry.

[@janasher4940]

They are water reactive inks - I use a water and baby shampoo concoction that I use to clean my stamps with.

[@ghlmk5931]

I rub my brushes against a fragrance and alcohol-free baby wipe after each use to remove ink. They dry almost immediately and hardly ever get hardened bristles. If I forget and they do become hardened, the baby wipe still works, just have to rub them a bit longer but now I might add a little bit of alcohol. I never wash these brushes with water because they take so long to fully dry that mold spores can take hold. Thanks for the tips!

[@lindaslack-c1q]

What a great idea, thanks.

[@kerriegood1046]

This was so helpful. Have never seen anyone talk about cleaning the brushes. I like the alcohol vs. the soap and water. Thanxs so much.

[@clarefancy-mcghee7850]

Wow!! I'm so glad you tried this out AND IT WORKED! 🤓 Great tip, I'll certainly be giving this a try next time one needs a good clean. Thank you so much. 🥰🥰

[@nicoleg.5277]

That’s great. It so nice you can use them so soon again. Thank you for sharing!

[@Simple_retired_life]

I always clean my brushes after each use with bleach water and rub against a silicone mat then rinse with water, rub against a dry towel and lay to dry.. hardly have any stains .. I like my brushes to look clean.. TFS!!! Hugs. Gloria 💕

[@JulieCozensCrafter]

Thanks for a great tip Lou.😊

[@susanbaker6409]

Worth a shot! Particularly as brushes can get to the stage where they are not worth using unless you take measures. I use baby wipes but have to say it takes some time before they are ink free. Thanks Lou. x

[@lou-annedwards5229]

This is great information Lou, thank you so much for a great tip.

[@michelegourd5742]

Lou, This was awesome!! Thanks so very much!! This was so very helpful!! You are the best!!

[@ahwashburn]

Great tip-thanks

[@heathertoms4188]

Thanks for sharing Lou! xx

[@LouCollins]

@@heathertoms4188 You’re welcome!

[@amytorango4641]

Oh my gosh! Thank you for this tip!! I was using soap specifically for make up brushes and dish soap. I can't wait to do this.

[@whichwitchhazel]

Great Lou glad it worked out xx

[@bluemac9476]

Excellent idea, thank you!

[@ronaldkent1971]

Great tips Lou

[@smply4you]

Great tips thanks Lou.

[@bonnerdebbie]

Great tip Lou> Thanks so much.

[@HeidiMayer-i1f]

Thank you very much for this ❤

[@8randomprettysecret8]

Thank you so much Lou! Spectacular 💃

[@ann9793]

Thank you Lou

[@marthahazevoet9309]

You have been reading my mind. I was wondering about how to clean my brushes. Thank you for the tip!

[@AlysonGold]

I can't blend with my brushes anymore. I wasn't sure why, but after seeing this video I'm sure they need to be cleaned. Thank you for sharing this tip! It seems so much quicker than soap and water.

[@beckythebealge]

So you never cleaned your brushes?

[@beckythebealge]

OMG I clean my brushes after evry use. I can’t believe that you didn’t

[@sjofngeirdal9631]

So do I

[@AlysonGold]

@ I'm not sure why you need to be rude about it, but I didn't clean them because I'm in the process of moving and they've been packed away for a long time.

[@ematthews3267]

​@AlysonGold I've only cleaned mine when I wanted to change the handle colour. I'm more used to distress ink, that hardly need cleaning at all. Your not alone. Hope the move goes well.

[@birthes.8411]

I always use painters brush soap (the brick one) the same to my makeup brushes - they will last forever

[@dawnmason2378]

I cleaned mine with vanish powder and warm water, worked a treat. No bristles have fallen out yet.

[@cheryl7476]

Thanks, Lou.

[@nikkirosindale7854]

Thankyou thankyou so much for this,I hate cleaning mine,but are so grubby,this is perfect ❤

[@yvonnegottsch4385]

Pour that alcohol and ink into a sprayer from $2 shop great for back ground sprays

[@nikkirosindale7854]

I clean my glass mat and acrylic blocks with rubbing alcohol, So the dirty left overs,will work a treat ❤Win Win ❤

[@Ceteria5]

I’ve been using Dawn Powerwash, it works great, they become white again with a stain here & there. I’m definitely going to try this tho, I think this would be less abrasive than the Powerwash! Thank you

[@deereip5439]

Dawn power wash has alcohol in it. You're using soap and alcohol.🙂

[@karenmckay7398]

Great to know - I am getting my first lot of distress oxides coming tomorrow from Craft stash. Would you recommend using different blending brushes for oxides and keep another set for other types of ink? Thanks ❤

[@LouCollins]

@@karenmckay7398 yes definitely! Oxides have pigment in them (think powder colour) whereas the inks don’t have x

[@carolynrose8135]

Thank you

[@chandreventer465]

I put my brushes in the washing machine with some old rags. They come out perfectly clean every time...

[@margaretzaborowski4496]

would this work for regular distress ink? i find using soap and warm water works great for the oxide brushes but it doesnt really work on the distress ink brushes

[@nickyshaw9516]

Thanks lou, my brushes are dreadful, in fact i keep buying new ones, so I will try this

[@shellyrulli5787]

Lou, is it actually safe on the ink pads (oxide or any) to use the newly cleaned brushes after washing in rubbing alcohol? Will that affect the ink?

[@LouCollins]

@@shellyrulli5787 yes the alcohol completely evaporates x

[@UsernameBarbF]

It's my understanding that if you use alcohol on plastic and don't wash or rinse the alcohol off the plastic, the plastic will become brittle and break eventually. Have you been using this method for a long enough period of time to be able to know if what I had been told was incorrect? Thank you!

[@ruthspencer6081]

Can you do this with dye inks?

[@LouCollins]

@@ruthspencer6081 absolutely but I find my brushes don’t clog up quite as much with the dye inks x

[@LANcards]

Have a question? How many distress oxides are there in total?

[@LouCollins]

@@LANcards 72 x

[@kathrynvenart4526]

Is rubbing alcohol also called surgical spirit?

[@LouCollins]

@@kathrynvenart4526 yes that’s correct

[@dotmitchell8912]

@@LouCollins hi from NewZealand I have a bottle of rubbing alcohol it’s other name is Isopropyl and it will remove sticky residue ( glue) . It is sold at painting stores and probably art shops . My blending brushes are like yours there is no join in the handle .

[@lesleydickson7746]

I bought surgical spirit from Boots but it had an extra additive which left things slightly oily.

[@LouCollins]

@ I got this rubbing alcohol from Amazon x

[@DarleneMitchener]

Maybe I missed something, but they don't appear to be clean. I suppose it depends on the type of ink used as to how to clean the brushes.

[@guardself921]

Great tip to use alcohol

[@99zanne]

L, do u have any concerns about the rubbing alcohol loosening the glue holding bristles in ? Idk what glue is used, but feel pretty confident it will be solvent based, and alcohol can mess with solvent based things. Second question, does rubbing alcohol have an effect on resin products? It will make clear acrylics “craze” with repeated applications; does it affect resin products at all? I believe the handles are resin poured? You would come a lot closer to being able to ask these questions of someone who will know than I ever will, and u may have already done so! TFS.

[@janerochfort2134]

You are the 👌 👍 😂

[@Ninjamom4]

❤️❤️❤️

[@sunnybarbara]

I just tried cleaning my blending brushes with the alcohol and one of the brush heads came off. Will I be able to glue it back on? What glue would suggest?

[@LouCollins]

@@sunnybarbara if submerged for too long the alcohol can loosen some glues unfortunately. I would get a superglue to hold the base of the bristles back into the handle but be very careful not to get glue on the ends of the bristles x

[@pampam9590]

I had the same thing happen to me, so now I just use soap and water and let them dry with the bristles hanging down. No problem since then - but I also “clean” my brushes when I’m done by rubbing them on a towel after the end of the day

[@lizzystitch4842]

Ugh....my Distress Oxide brushes are terrible!!

[@Cre8tiveConnexionsbyLillia]

Thank you. I always clean my brushes after every use with shampoo. This will be good to use too. I hate hearing people boast about not cleaning brushes, don't they even think about mold and spores and germs? You don't find artists failing to wash and care for brushes.

[@moniquea.7734]

L'alcool à friction, ce n'est pas un mot français. Donc, commencez par un traduction exacte avant de vouloir l'exporter dans une autre langue. Ensuite, choisissez plutôt un humain pour parler, plutôt qu'un robot qui ne m'incite qu'à prendre la fuite !