All my creativity goes into the painting, so. Help Me Clean Brushes.

April 29, 2008 6:44 PM

how do I clean my paintbrushes?

I've started painting (artsy painting, not the walls), a TON, and I am trying to figure out how best to wash the brushes. At first I was cleaning in the bathroom, but my bathroom sink is so tiny and it started getting clogged and gross. Plus, due to the tininess, I couldn't really get in and scrub or anything.

So I started washing the brushes in the kitchen sink, free from dishes of course. But is there any danger in washing brushes in the kitchen sink? Can something toxic come into contact with my plates? That would be not good. Is there something I should soak the brushes in before going for the sink? Are there environmental things I should also consider? Thanks in advance.

posted by sweetkid to home & garden (16 comments total)

Acrylic paint, forgot to mention.
posted by sweetkid at 6:51 PM on April 29, 2008

Acrylic paints are not that toxic. Just clean up well and all will be fine.
posted by caddis at 6:59 PM on April 29, 2008

You could just make sure you let the water run for a while after you're done washing your brushes to dilute the paint further. At least I've been instructed to do that in the lab when rinsing pipettes used with formaldehyde solutions, etc (basically, you can dispose of pretty much anything in the sewer if its concentration is low enough, including liquid radioactive waste as long as it's soluble).
posted by halogen at 7:06 PM on April 29, 2008

Because acrylic is basically plastic,* and if left to dry will form a plasticy substance that's really, really fun to play with, it will clog anything given enough time and the appropriate conditions. Therefore, you may want to put a sort of drain plug that's also a screen, allowing the watery bits in, and making the large plastic chunks stay out. The frequency of holes should be between a colander (a.k.a. pasta drainer) and a flour sifter (but don't put a flour sifter in). It'll help with a lot of the gunkiness, and will save you pain later on. Students improperly cleaning their brushes has lead to many plugged art room sinks, which are basically kitchen sinks.

I can't comment about toxicity.

*Semantics matter not.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 7:10 PM on April 29, 2008

Also, there are substances to help clean your paint bins, and especially your brushes, but I can't comment on how toxic they are, or how many are directed towards cleaning acrylic paint vs oil.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 7:11 PM on April 29, 2008

And no, I wasn't referring to turpentine etc., nor was I suggesting that Mysteroious Substance go down the drain. Mainly I just saw it in a solid state, in a tin, to do a final clean-off of the brushes.

Then again, when I was in art school, the girls who used it were thought to be particularly anal and loose with their money.

OK, end of the addendums and errata. I swear. Sorry about that.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 7:14 PM on April 29, 2008

"Acrylic paints are not that toxic."

This isn't really ture. Sometimes the toxicity of the paint has to do with the pigment in it, rather than the media that binds it. Some of the pigments in art paints are the definition of toxic.
posted by 517 at 7:33 PM on April 29, 2008

My mom, an artist & art teacher, swears by Goop. It works best with oil paints, but will clean acrylic paints too. It'll also get almost every stain out of your clothing. Non-toxic, biodegradable. It's pretty much the most awesome substance ever.
posted by changeling at 7:57 PM on April 29, 2008

I know this has received 'best answer/answered' status, but I wanted to drop a hint that all my painter friends and the one painting teacher I've had have laid on me. Basically, you want to wash your brushes out with warm water and soap either immediately after use, or when you're in clean-up phase. That's it. You know, just place a little soap in your palm/stolen ramekin/pallet divot, run the brush through the soap, rinse, and repeat until no more pigment comes from the brush bristles under the tap.

If you're really concerned about environmental impact, there are a number of ways to alter and/or divert sink drainage through either a DIY 'filter' or a subverted commercial filtering system to catch questionable substances [I'd throw down links here but work internet time does not allow for extensive searches], but the volume of water and soap to pigment/paint in clean up will take care of that. Really, don't worry about pollution unless you're using anything with cadmium or cobalt.

Hope that helps.
posted by Minus215Cee at 9:12 PM on April 29, 2008

Even though I've marked some best answers, I'd love to get more comments. Thanks!
posted by sweetkid at 9:14 PM on April 29, 2008

try soap spend lots of time cleaning, get frustrated, then try fabric softener (like downy) in warm water instead.

swish the brush around in it for 10-20 seconds, rinse, there is no step 3.

i didn't believe it either. try it first, then scoff.
posted by KenManiac at 9:45 PM on April 29, 2008

For brushes with natural hair, we use a little Murphy's Oil Soap (the concentrated kind) in washing them out. If a brush is extra wonky-shaped, you can put some Murphy's on it after you've cleaned it and then shape it to what you'd like and let it dry. The oil in the soap will condition the bristles and make the brush a little happier.

(I'm not affilitated with the Murphy's folk.)
posted by lauranesson at 11:12 PM on April 29, 2008

Seconding Murphy's Oil Soap, even for us folks who paint in oils. Dawn is also an excellent cleaner, but won't condition the brushes like Murph's.
And never had a problem with clogged sinks (just use the sink strainer).
Haven't used turp in years.
posted by artdrectr at 12:15 AM on April 30, 2008

I found Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap did a terrific job of cleaning paintbrushes, even oils.
posted by itstheclamsname at 8:49 AM on April 30, 2008

Pink soap is good. There are also little kits you can buy in most art stores that includes soap to wash the brushes and soap to wash your hands. I forget the brand, but it comes in faux old-timey yellow packaging with brown writing.
posted by fructose at 8:53 AM on April 30, 2008

I've always used turpenoid, although that's more geared towards oils.

when I painted, i kept an old soup can and a folded up paper towel nearby. I filled the can with water and soap, or water and turpenoid. If I wasn't painting with the brush, it was in the can. If I needed to use the brush again, I would pop it out, brush strokes on the paper towel until the water was mostly out, then start using it again.

I was pretty lazy, so I never washed them out after use, just left them in the can. This will cause problems when the water evaporates and the paint dries on your brush (at which point you might as well toss it, unless you want to save it to scratch marks in paint with). Ideally, you'd wash all your brushes out at the end of the day.
posted by fishfucker at 9:58 AM on April 30, 2008