Found a weird trick for cleaning paint brushes that actually works

I spent like 2 hours scrubbing dried latex paint off my brushes after a project last month and almost threw them out. Then my neighbor told me to soak them in fabric softener for 30 minutes and rinse, and the paint just slid right off. Has anyone else tried this or got a better hack for saving crusty brushes?

2 comments

2 Comments

robert_rodriguez668d ago

Last weekend I ruined a good brush on some trim paint and was ready to toss it. I tried that fabric softener trick and it actually worked way better than I expected. You gotta make sure you rinse it really good though or the bristles get all greasy feeling. I also heard white vinegar works for oil-based paints but I haven't tried that myself yet. It's nice to not have to buy new brushes every time you finish a project.

willow_martin8d ago

Yeah, "it's nice to not have to buy new brushes every time" really hits home. My buddy Mike tried that same fabric softener trick on a brush he used for latex paint. He said it worked but he didn't rinse it well enough and the next paint job had weird streaks in it from the leftover softener. He had to scrub the bristles with dish soap to get the greasy feeling out. He swears by white vinegar now for cleaning his oil-based stuff and says it leaves the bristles soft but not slippery. I figured I'd pass that along since you mentioned wanting to try it.