Treat your Paint Brush Right

When I see a drying paint brush covered in paint I die a little bit inside.

I started painting at the end of middle school when my dad started Inspirational Painting.  As child labor I was in charge of prepping for the adults, taping trim, and all the other things no one else wanted to do.

Be nice to your paint brush.  If cleaned properly and stored in a sheath after completely drying it should stay in paintable condition for years.  The average paint brush age in our tool box is 10 years old.

One of those responsibilities was washing the paint brushes.  While it may seem like a fast and easy job when you are running a hose over your hands for fifteen minutes per brush and the early April weather is in the 50’s it never goes fast enough.

But one thing you gain through years of red, cold fingers is an appreciation for a properly cleaned and cared for paint brush.  The paint brush is at the center of the painter’s world.  How can you roll if the walls aren’t cut in?  How do you finish the trim after you spray the body of an exterior?  Those nylon bristles are a way of life for many a pro paint contractor.

Proper care starts with the right brush.  Cheap paint brushes shed bristles.  Going cheap when buying a brush will cost you time and a clean cut-in line.  You should be able to purchase a reasonable brush from $15-20.  Purdy brand brushes are a good option and can be found at almost all major home improvement stores.

To keep your paint brush alive you will need to clean it after every use.  Run cold to warm water over the bristles while flexing them back and forth.  Take a wire brush and run it from the handle towards the brush tip.  Don’t stop half way through or you will damage the bristles.  You should be able to remove all dried paint from the bristles.  Continue rinsing the brush until as you flex the bristles you see no discolored water leaving the heal.  Allow to dry completely and then return it to the sheath it came with.

Be nice to your paint brush.  If cleaned properly and stored in a sheath after completely drying it should stay in paintable condition for years.  The average paint brush age in our tool box is 10 years old.