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Painting Clean Up
Painters are often tempted to consider cleanup an afterthought, yet it is an essential part of any project. The environment in which you work is reflected in the quality of your work. Always take the time to clean up and organize the job site and work space when you stop working each night so that everything is crisp and clean when you return to work.
Just as people are less aware of tidiness in a
messy environment, people tend to lower their standards when working in a
messy environment. Good organization is important in preventing this. Prior
to painting, always dust off the work surface one more time. Always have a
clean rag to wipe your hands. Don't get into the habit of wiping your hands
on your clothing. Always be sure to dispose of used cleaning solutions
properly.
Cleaning Brushes
There are people and professional paint shops where a used brush, unless very expensive, is simply discarded. Most people prefer to effectively clean brushes to ensure a longer lifespan for the utensil. Older brushes have the added advantage of being 'broken in', which prevents bristle shedding.
The instructions on this page explain how to wash your brushes thoroughly and quickly.
To wash a brush well, three things must be taken into consideration:
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The type of hair from which the brush is made
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The type of paint used with the brush
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Whether the brush is small or large
If you don't have time to clean your glazing
brushes right after a job, you can
keep them in a bucket of water overnight. To do this, simply tape the brush
handles to the side of the bucket above the water line so that the brush
hairs do not touch the bottom of the bucket. The next day, wring them out by
spinning them between your hands until there is no water left in the brush.
This works for both oil and water based mediums.
Exercise caution when cleaning brushes, particularly when using mineral spirits. Do not clean utensils and brushes anywhere near the freshly finished surface, as splattering of liquid can have a disastrous impact on the surface and finish. Always ensure adequate ventilation when cleaning brushes and utensils.
Helpful Note: If you forget to wash a brush and it becomes caked with dry glaze, the brush can often be salvaged by a quick bath of lacquer thinner, acetone or even brush cleaner. It can then be washed and rinsed with soap and water as explained below. A metal or pet comb can be employed to help untangle the bristle hairs.
Wash the brush with soap - either Murphy's Oil Soap or a dishwashing liquid - and warm water. Repeat the soap and water washing and rinsing several times, as the first washing generally only dissolves the thinner, whereas subsequent rinses will wash off the oil. Be sure to work the soap into the heel of the brush with your fingers. If the brush is extremely soiled, let the lathered soap sit on the brush for few minutes while you work on less soiled brushes. Rinse the brushes thoroughly. Any soap left in the brush will foam when used with a water based glaze. Finally, hang the brushes to dry by threading a wire or string through the holes in the handles.
Here are some cleaning tips for paint specific situations:
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Acrylics
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Use alcohol, lacquer thinner, acetone
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Reversible water based paints
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Water
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Oil paints
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lacquer thinner, acetone commercial spot remover only with reversible systems which reactivate easily with water and rarely produce a seriously soiled brush - these brushes require only a quick wash with very little soap.
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Note: When washing badger-hair brushes, use only warm water and no soap (soap hardens badger hair, destroying its softness). Never wet the ferrule because that will loosen the glue. An exception is if you use the badger with irreversible water based paint (acrylic), you must use a small amount of mild soap.
Reshaping Small Brushes
Once clean, small brushes need to be reshaped. To reshape a water based brush, dip it into a mixture of 80 percent water and 20 percent gum Arabic, then shape it between your thumb and index finger and let dry. The next day the brush will seem like new. To remove the film, work the hair with your fingers or wet the brush in the proper solvent.
Tool Clean Up
Equipment used with oil
based products
Since oil paint is irreversible, you must clean your tools at the end of each working session. If you wait, you won't be able to clean them completely, ever.
Equipment used with water based products
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Metal Tools
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Wash the tool with soap and water and wipe dry to prevent rust.
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Wood Tools
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Scrub the tool with a scrub pad or rag and wipe dry, then oil with linseed oil. As with oil paints, you can save water based paints by putting the palette in the refrigerator for the night. Before doing so, mist the palette with water, then lay a damp rag over it. This should only be done if the refrigerator doesn't contain any food.
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Surface Spot Removal
As when cleaning brushes, in order to clean spots effectively you must first identify the surface and the type of dry or wet paint to determine the appropriate type of cleaning. Always proceed with caution. First, do a test with the least damaging solvent on the least conspicuous area. If it does not work, repeat the test with another solvent. When you find the correct solvent, work on one small area at a time, and be careful not to smudge it out and make an even bigger mess. Often, stain removal works best when you gently dab or blot the stain, rather than rubbing it. Remember, this process is meant to improve the surface, not degrade it further.
Wet Spots
If a spot is still wet, you will most likely know what type of paint it is. On a hard or nonporous surface (wood, plastic, glass), carefully wipe off the spot with a clean rag and clean solvent (water or thinner, as appropriate). On a porous or soft surface (fabric, leather), rather than wiping, dab the spot with the correct solvent. Once this has dried, you may be able to use a commercial spot remover, but be sure to do a test first, in an inconspicuous area if possible.
Dry Spots
On a hard or nonporous surface, if you know what type of paint made the spot, use the appropriate solvent or a used scrub pad or rag, then wipe it off with a clean rag. For a known stain on a porous or soft surface, follow the directions above for cleaning wet spots on porous surfaces.
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