You just finished painting and varnishing a project, but you're not done yet!If you clean your varnish brush, you will be thanked in the future.If you want your brush to be ready for the next project, you have to wash it.You can clean the brush with elbow grease if the varnish is water-based.Buying a bottle of mineral spirits will help remove the varnish from the bristles.
Step 1: If it's water- or solvent-based, read the label.
The back of the varnish can tell you if you need to clean it with water or with mineral spirits.Polycrylic varnishes are water-based.It is water-based.It is possible to be water- or solvent-based.It is a solvent-based varnish.
Step 2: Put 2 inches of warm water or mineral spirits in 4 containers.
The containers or bowls are large enough to hold the brush bristles.You can easily dispose of yogurt containers that are clean since they're deep.If you're cleaning water-based varnish, put 2 inches of water into each container.If you're cleaning a solvent based varnish, use mineral spirits.Open a window if you're using mineral spirits to clean the brush.Turpentine is more toxic than mineral spirits, so be careful with it and dispose of it.If you have dried paint or varnish in your brush, turpentine is a better choice.If you use water, you can fill just one container.After each rinse, refill the water with fresh water.
Step 3: The brush should be thrown in the first container.
Attach the bristles of your brush to the first container and push it down.The water or mineral spirits will work up into the bristles if the brush bristles are bent back and forth.This is one rinse.The varnish out of the bristles is worked on by Rinsing the brush 3 more times.
Step 4: The brush should be washed in the other containers.
Take the brush out of the first container and put it in the next one.Before you move it to the container next to it, please bend the bristles for another minute.You should rinse the brush in each container for a full minute.The first container becomes cloudy with varnish as you rinse the brush.The second container is a little murky and the liquids in the following containers are lighter as you loosen the varnish from the bristles.If you're only using a single container of water, empty it and refill it with fresh water after each rinse.Do not pour mineral spirits down the drain.Put a lid on the container and take it to your local waste management facility for proper disposal.Pour all of the liquids into a single container with a lid if you're not using a yogurt container.
Step 5: Put liquid dish soap across the bristles in the sink.
Put the varnish brush in the sink and run warm water over it.The liquid dish soap should be squirted across the bristles.Since you have removed most of the mineral spirits from the bristles, it's safe to do this in the sink.Solid soap can be used for paintbrushes.Rub the wet bristles onto the hard soap to get the product into the brush.
Step 6: Rub the soap through the bristles to clean them.
To work the soap through the brush, use your fingers.To get soap into the brush, rub the bristles against the palm of your hand.For at least 30 seconds, do this.Since there's still a lot of varnish in the bristles, the soap probably won't become sudsy on the first wash.The best way to get varnish out of your brush is to push firmly.
Step 7: Use warm water and soap to wash the brush.
As you rinse, remove the bristles to get rid of the soap and varnish.Put more liquid dish soap on the brush and rub it through the bristles.Rub the soap to make it sudsy.If the soap doesn't foam up in the brush, rinse it and wash it a third time.The bristles should be covered with soap bubbles.
Step 8: The soap can be removed from the bristles by rinsing the brush.
It's time to rinse after you've worked the soap deep into the brush and lifted the acrylic varnish.Pull the bristles out of the brush if you want the water to rinse everything from it.Once you've finished rinsing, the bristles should be clean.
Step 9: To get rid of water, shake the brush 2 to 3 times.
If you shake the brush vigorously, the excess water will fall into the sink.It's a lot easier to dry the brush with this.If you don't have a deep sink in your kitchen or bathroom, you can do this outside.
Step 10: You can spin the handle between your palms by holding the brush upside down.
The bristles should be pointed towards the sink.The brush spins when you rub your hands back and forth with the handle between your palms.If you spin the brush between your hands, most of the water will leave the sink and the bristles are not wet.
Step 11: Wrap the brown paper around the bristles of the brush.
Place a piece of butcher paper or paper in a brown bag.The brush should be set on the paper.After folding the paper over the bristles, turn the brush to wrap them completely.As the brush dries, the paper protects the bristles from getting bent out of shape.If you want to cover the ends of the bristles, fold the paper in half.
Step 12: Leave the brush to dry.
Put the wrapped brush on a flat surface or on the edge of the sink and let it dry.You should check the bristles the next day.Don't use the brush for another project if they're still damp.If you don't want the brush to be wrapped, hang it with the bristles pointing down to dry.
Step 13: Store the brush in between uses.
If you're done using the varnish brush, you can hang it with the bristles pointing down so they don't push against anything or lay the brush flat.The bristles keep their shape if nothing is stacked on top of the brush.