Good brush maintenance can significantly extend their lifespan. It’s essential to distinguish between cleaning during the painting process and cleaning after each painting session.
Cleaning During the Painting Process
Using Eco-Friendly Methods
Prepare for Cleaning: Before starting the cleaning process, make sure to remove excess paint from the brush using a wipe. Baby wipes without fragrance are excellent for removing oil paints from both the brush hairs and clothing.
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Solution: Obtain the revolutionary medium from the company Shminka, known as Medium W.
Application: Apply a small amount of Medium W to the dirty brush.
Rinse: Gently work the medium into the brush hairs and rinse with water. Your brush should be clean after this step. No need to repeat the process.
Baby Oil Cleaning
Prepare the Baby Oil: Pour baby oil into a cleaning container.
Dip the Brush: Immerse the brush in the baby oil and then remove it.
Wipe Off Paint Residue: Use a paper towel to wipe off any remaining paint from the brush. Alternatively, you can shake the brush; refer to the video for this technique.
Repeat if Necessary: Continue steps 2 and 3 until all the paint is removed.
Final Rinse: Place the brushes in a container with dish soap and rinse with lukewarm water.
Oil Settling Technique:
To conserve baby oil, transfer the used oil to a sediment jar. After about a week of undisturbed storage, the pigments will settle at the bottom, and a layer of clean baby oil will form on top. Carefully separate the clean oil from the pigments by pouring it into a designated container for brush cleaning.
Traditional Brush Cleaning with Turpentine
Today, non-toxic green turpentine or the excellent cleaning solution (which is also green turpentine) from Shminka can be used instead of problematic and harmful turpentines such as pine, mineral, or odorless turpentine. Note: Previously, brushes were cleaned with pine turpentine, but other types are damaging to the brush and harmful to both people and the environment.
Dip in Green Turpentine: Immerse the brushes in green turpentine.
Wipe and Repeat: Wipe the brushes with a paper towel or wipe and repeat the process until no more paint comes off.
Handling Pine Turpentine:
If using pine turpentine, do not leave the brushes in the turpentine for more than a few minutes to prevent the bristles from warping. Dispose of turpentine-soaked paper towels in hazardous waste bins, not in the toilet! Pine turpentine is toxic and does not break down in water, potentially causing skin irritation. It’s advisable to use gloves when handling it. These instructions do not apply to green turpentine or Shminka’s cleaning solution.
Avoid Water Rinsing: Do not rinse brushes soaked in pine turpentine under running water to prevent contamination of water systems. Some paints contain toxic or carcinogenic materials (e.g., cadmium, lead) that should not enter the water system.
Store Used Turpentine: Do not rinse excess pine turpentine down the sink. Instead, store it in a sediment jar. After about a week of undisturbed storage in a closed jar, pigments will settle, and a clear layer of turpentine suitable for reuse will form on top. Carefully separate the clean turpentine from the pigments by pouring it into a container dedicated to brush cleaning. The sediment can be used for priming, as it will dry quickly due to its turpentine content. This method also reduces expenses on pine turpentine.
Final Cleaning Steps
Soak in Dish Soap: Soak the brushes in dish soap (without adding water) in a container for a few minutes. Fairy Green is an excellent dish soap for this purpose.
Rinse with Lukewarm Water: Add lukewarm water to the container (not too hot or cold) and squeeze the soap and water from the brush.
Dry Properly: Place the brushes on a horizontal surface to dry. Avoid placing brushes with bristles facing up vertically, as water can accumulate in the metal ferrule, leading to rust and bristle loss. Also, avoid placing the brush directly on its bristles, as this can deform them. An alternative is to hang the brushes vertically, bristles facing down.
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