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That time I spent 3 years cleaning my paint brushes wrong
So I used to be really into those viral home makeover videos on YouTube. You know the ones where they paint everything in like 20 minutes and it looks amazing. I copied their technique of just swirling the brush in water and tapping it dry. For 3 years I did it this way and always wondered why my brushes got stiff and shed bristles after like 2 uses. Last month I was at this little paint shop in Portland and the old guy working there saw me cleaning a brush and stopped me. He said I was basically ruining the ferrule by getting water up inside it and not using any conditioner. He showed me this specific way of spinning the brush dry and using a little brush soap. I felt like an idiot for trusting those speedy videos over actual painter know-how. Has anyone else fallen for a trendy cleaning hack that ended up costing you more in the long run?
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charles8364d ago
Follow those quick tips and you'll pay for new brushes instead.
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paige1664d ago
The 15 dollar tube of Winsor & Newton titanium white I wrecked last month is proof. Ended up with crusty dried paint crusted in the bristles because I left it sitting in a cup of water for two days. Those cheap synthetic brushes might survive some abuse, but my good sable ones would be totally ruined if I tried any of those cleaning shortcuts.
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wade_kelly773d ago
The "you'll pay for new brushes instead" line is spot on. Here's the thing nobody mentions though - rust takes out brushes way faster than bad cleaning habits. I learned that the hard way when I left a damp brush in a metal cup overnight. The ferrule, that metal part holding the bristles, started rusting and pushed the hairs loose. Now the bristles fall out every time I paint. So even if you baby your brushes, if you store them in a metal container while slightly damp, you're basically throwing money away. Plastic cups or brush holders all the way if you're lazy about drying.
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