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How to Make Your Paint Brushes Last Longer
How do I make my paint by numbers paint brushes last longer?
You would be surprised by how many times we are asked this question. Our wonderful Paint Plot community facebook group have firsthand experience, so we will be sharing a few of their tips and tricks on how to make your paint brushes last longer.
“The sign of a happy paintbrush is one that is gooped in paint, dripping with colour, and skipping freely across a canvas”
Here are our five top tips on how to make your paint brushes last longer:
- The first and most important tip is to make sure that you wash your brushes after every single painting session. We know that sometimes after you have been painting for hours on end, this is the last thing you want to do. However, to ensure your brushes last longer, this is a must.
- If you are leaving the brushes in water for small periods of time, make sure only the bristles are covered. The glue that connects the bristles to the ferrule (which is the silver part connecting the bristles to the handle) can start to disintegrate if it’s left in water for too long.
- Remove all excess paint after your painting session with paper towel or damp cloth/rag. After painting brush care is key to ensuring that your brushes last for a long time.
- Simple dishwashing detergent with warm water is an easy and cost-effective way to clean the brushes. You can use an empty hand washing dispenser for this. Apply a small amount to the brush and rub gently in the palm of your hand under warm running water.
- Gently squeeze excess water making sure not to damage the bristles and wipe with paper towel or dry cloth. Leave tilted vertically with the bristles at the bottom until completely dry, this stops the water seeping into the glue as previously mentioned.
Here are some great tips and tricks from our Paint Plot community on how to keep your paint brushes in good shape.
Lisa’s Advice:
“Never leave the brushes in your jar of water. I add a drop of dishwashing liquid to my water jar for swishing. Dry brushes on paper towel before continuing to paint after I swish them. At the end of a painting session, I use those disposable make-up wipes for a final clean. I use gesso on my canvases and my favourite brush is still perfect after 5 paintings ”
Lesley’s Advice
“I use soap and water”.
Someone also suggested to trim the bristles that have gone rogue over time.
The key is to make sure before you store your brushes that they are clean and dry. We have paint brush holders and organisers available to purchase online, that help to store your brushes vertically (bristles up), when not in use.
We hope that this has helped with any questions that you may have on how to make your paint brushes last longer. If we can help you any further please do not hesitate to contact our team at support@paintplot.com.auSign Up!
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