Painting is one of those tasks that requires good tools. You’ll want to invest in high-quality paint brushes and rollers to achieve a professional result. Properly cleaning and caring for your high-quality brushes and rollers is important. To protect that investment, understanding how to clean paint brushes and rollers will be paramount.
Not taking the time to properly clean your brushes and rollers can lead to a mess and loss of money. Partially cleaned tools will lead to problems the next time you go to use them. If paint isn’t fully cleaned out of your brushes or rollers, leftover paint dries. It then becomes an unwanted “texture” additive on the next surface you paint! Most likely, you’ll have to dispose of these tools rather than enjoying them for many uses.
The question of how to clean paint brushes and rollers depends on the type of paint you have used. Oil-based paints need mineral spirits to remove the paint. Brushes and rollers that have been used to apply water-based latex paint only require mild liquid dish soap and hot water.
How to Clean a Brush
To clean a brush, begin by removing as much of the paint as possible. Brush as much of the leftover paint onto a scrap piece of paper or cardboard. Depending on the paint used, put either the hot water/mild dish soap mixture, or the mineral spirits in a bucket. Next “stir” the brush in the bucket for a few seconds and begin massaging the bristles between your fingers to remove the paint. A painters brush comb can also come in handy to remove the paint without damaging the brush. After you’ve removed the paint, you can give the brush one more wash in a utility sink with hot water and mild dish soap to remove any remaining paint or solvent residue.
How to Clean a Roller
When learning how to clean paint brushes and rollers, one may think you have to throw away the roller cover each time…Not true! For cleaning a roller cover, start by removing as much of the paint as you can. A paint roller cleaner is a great tool for this, but you can also use your hand to squeeze the paint from the roller. You’ll be amazed at how much paint you can recapture, and time you’ll save by doing this first.
As with the brush cleaning, put either the hot water/soap mixture or the mineral spirits in a small bucket enough to submerge the roller. Agitate the roller and use your fingers to work the paint out of the nap. Once the paint is removed, give the roller cover another wash in a utility sink with hot water and mild soap to remove any remaining paint or mineral spirit residue.
Working With Mineral Spirits
Another important tip about how to clean paint brushes and rollers involves mineral spirits. If mineral spirits were used in the bucket, DO NOT pour mineral spirits down the drain! It is a toxic solvent that is detrimental to the environment. And, DO NOT dump a partially full container or rags soaked with mineral spirits in the trash. Mineral spirits are highly flammable and have a very low flash point. They can self ignite very easily and must be disposed of properly.
It is critical you read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for disposal of mineral spirits. Or, take your leftover mineral spirits and soaked rags to a hazardous waste facility. Failure to properly dispose of mineral spirits can lead to severe consequences such as a fire or a court date!
One nice thing about mineral spirits is you can reclaim them and reuse them rather than disposing of them. The process for reclaiming mineral spirits can easily be found using a internet search for “How to dispose of mineral spirits”.
Drying & Storage of Brushes & Rollers
One last step in how to clean paint brushes and rollers is drying and storage of your tools. After your brushes and roller covers are fully cleaned, you want to remove all the water. An easy and very effective way to do this is using a paint brush and roller spinner. The inexpensive spinner uses high-speed spinning action to remove excess water. If you don’t want to invest in a spinner, you can accomplish similar results by shaking the brushes and rollers and blotting with a clean dry rag.
For storing paint brushes and rollers, place them back in their original packaging. This will help the brush maintain its shape and protect both roller and brush from dust. The best place to store your brushes is to hang them from a peg board or something similar. Again, this storage solution is to protect the bristles and maintain the shape of the brush.
When discussing how to clean paint brushes and rollers, we would like to share one more relatable tip. For storing a brush or roller loaded with paint over night, just wrap the roller and/or brush with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic touches and seals every part of the roller or brush and seal in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator. This process saves you from cleaning your tools if you have to take a break for a few hours or overnight. Allow the brushes and rollers to come to room temperature before starting again.
Hopefully you’ve learned a little something about how to clean paint brushes and rollers. Completing a painting project yourself instead of hiring a professional painter can be rewarding and save you a little money if you’re willing to put in the time and effort.
