Loosen the old paint, using a wire brush.
Professionals recognize the importance of proper cleaning immediately after a painting project. Both water- and oil-based paints wash easily from paintbrush bristles as long as they are still wet. Unfortunately, once these finishes dry, they adhere to the bristles like an adhesive and removal can be taxing and fraught with potential problems that could ultimately ruin the tool. If you've accidentally allowed paint to dry within your brush's bristles, you can still salvage the tool. Learn the proper removal strategy and follow it to the letter, or your paintbrush won't be worth very much in the end.
Instructions
1. Fill a 1-gallon painter's pot with 1/2-gallon of the appropriate liquid. Use water if you need to remove old water-based acrylic or latex paint from a synthetic nylon or polyester paintbrush. Use mineral spirits if you need to remove old oil-based paint from a natural-bristled paintbrush.
2. Submerge the brush's bristled into the liquid. Let the bristles soak for five to ten minutes.
3. Remove the brush and scrape the old paint from the bristles, using a wire brush. Start where the bristles meet the brush handle and scrape downward consistently moving away from the handle. Do not scrape upwards or side-to-side; this will cause the bristles to lose their shape.
4. Dip the brush into the water. Continue the removal process until the old paint is removed.
5. Wash synthetic brushes in a sink or using a garden hose. Wash natural-bristled paintbrushes with clean mineral spirits.
