How To Clean Watercolor Brushes

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You probably use brushes in a variety of ways, and of course, you need to clean them when you're done. Most brushes, including makeup brushes and some artistic paintbrushes, just require a bit of soap and water to clean them. Other paintbrushes, like the ones you use to paint a piece of furniture, may require a paint thinner for them to come clean.

1
Clean your brushes once a week if possible. Brushes and sponges hold onto a lot of germs. After all, they have a buildup of skin and oil from your face. Your best bet is to clean them weekly, which will help keep the germs off your face, as well as increase the life of your brushes.^[1]
- If you can't manage cleaning them that often, make sure you do the brushes you use near your eyes at least every other week. You definitely do not want germs near your eyes.
2

Get the bristles wet by running them under water. Turn the tap onto lukewarm water and let the water run over the brush heads. Try not to go above the metal clasp that holds the head on, as you may weaken the glue.^[2]
3
Add a drop of soap to your hand. You can use any gentle soap or a cleaner made specifically for makeup brushes. Another option is dishwashing soap, which works because it helps to degrease the brush.^[3]
- You only need a little bit in the palm of your hand.
- Mix olive oil into the soap to help hydrate the bristles and keep them from drying out.^[4]
4
Rub each brush into the soap. Run the bristles of the brush across your hand, getting it soaped up well. Rub it around in the soap to make sure you get the soap all in the bristles, but don't be too rough, as you can cause the brush to lose its shape.^[5]
- Do each brush one at a time and set it aside.
- You may need to add more soap if you have a lot of brushes.
- Don't rub the soap and water into the base of the brush head's base or else it will weaken the glue holding it in place.^[6]
5

Place the brush under running water again. Now, rinse out the soap from the bristles. Let the water run over each brush head for at least 20-30 seconds to make sure all the soap is out before moving on to the next one.^[7]
6
Use your fingers to strain the water out. Squeeze from where the bristles meet the brush handle down to the tip of the bristles. Don't pull too hard, as you may pull bristles out in the process.^[8]
- You can also use a clean towel to help squeegee out the water. Don't rub the brush on the towel, though, just use your fingers to gently wrap the towel around the brush head and squeeze the water out.
- Lay the clean brush on a towel as you move on to the next one.
7

Shape the bristles back into place. If any brush heads look a little misshapen after being washed, use your fingers to gently reshape them.^[9] If you let them dry while they're out of shape, they'll stay that way.^[10]
8
Lay the brushes on a clean towel with the bristles hanging off the edge. This position lets the bristles dry in the appropriate shape. Leave them there overnight so they dry out completely.^[11]
- Don't let the brush heads dry on a towel, as that can allow too much water to stay in the bristles, causing mildew.
- Don't hang the brushes vertically since it can cause water to drain into the base that holds the bristles and break the glue.^[12]

1

Squeeze out as much excess paint as you can. Use up the paint in your brush by running it across the object you're painting. Then, push the brush into the inside wall of the can and scrape it across the top edge of the can as you come out. That will squeeze out the rest of the paint.^[13]
2
Choose the best solvent for the paint you're using. You use solvents to remove the paint. The back of the paint can will tell you what to use. You'll need to use different solvents for oil-based paints and latex-based paints, for instance. Pick the right solvent, or you'll end up with a mess.^[14]
- Typically, you can use soap and water for latex paints. However, for oil paints, you'll usually need mineral spirits or turpentine, which you can find at a home improvement store.
- One homemade paint solvent you can try on a variety of paints is water and fabric softener. Mix 0.5 cups (120 mL) of water into 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water.^[15]
- If you have brushes that have hardened paint on the bristles, you can purchase a solvent that revives the brush after soaking it for 24 hours.^[16]
3
Move the paintbrush around in the solvent. Dunk the brush in and swirl the solvent around with the brush. Press the brush against the side of the container, too, or scrape on the top as necessary. If you need to, don a glove and use your fingers to rub the bristles.^[17]
- For dried paint, let the paintbrush soak in the solvent for 10 minutes.
- Shake the solvent off over the container.
- Use a hair comb to help break apart paint stuck in the bristles. Make sure to clean your comb before using it on your head again.^[18]
4
Wash the solvent off in soap and water. If you used a solvent like paint thinner or mineral spirits, dip the brush in a bucket of water mixed with a capful of dish soap or laundry detergent. Work the brush for about a minute, then rinse it with cool water.^[19]
- If you need to clean off the bristles with your fingers, be sure to wear a glove.
- If you're using a natural-bristle brush, make sure not to leave it in the water for more than a minute, as it can absorb water and destroy the bristles.
- Don't rinse paint thinner directly into the drain. Instead, let it solidify in the jar and then throw the whole thing away in a hazardous waste station.^[20]
5
Shake the water off and wrap the paintbrush to help it retain its shape. If you have one, use a paintbrush spinner to shake the excess water off. If you don't, shake out as much of the water as you can and then squeeze it with an old towel. Wrap the paintbrush in a piece of thick paper and secure it with twine or yarn, tying it loosely.^[21]
- Wrapping the brush will help it retain its shape.

1
Squeeze out the extra paint with newspapers. Wrap a small piece of newspaper around the bristles of the brush and press the paper together against the bristles near the metal ferrule. Pull the bristles through the newspaper as you continue to press the paper together.^[22]
- Move the paintbrush through the newspaper a couple of times, using a clean area each time.
2
Dip the brush in a small container of paint thinner for oil paint. Rub the brush around the bottom of the container to work the thinner in and the paint out. Tap the paintbrush on the side, then move it back through the newspaper to help remove more paint.^[23]
- You can find paint thinner at most arts and craft stores.
- You may need to do this a few times.
- If you're using acrylic paint, skip this step.
3
Rub soap into the bristles of the brush. You can use hand soap, brush soap, dishwashing soap, or even shampoo. Put some in your hand and rub the brush into it, working the soap into the bristles of the brush.^[24]
- You can also use your fingertips to help rub the soap into the bristles.
- You may need to rinse the soap off your hand if it gets too stained with paint. Just add fresh soap and keep working.
- If the paint is stuck in the bristles, try using an ammonia-based glass cleaner to remove it.^[25]
- Some brush soaps will also help bring your brush back to its original condition.
4

Rinse out the soap with lukewarm water. Run the brush under the tap, using your fingers to rinse out the bristles. Keep rinsing until the water runs clear of both soap and paint. Make sure to get the bristles clean all the way up to the metal ferrule.^[26]
5
Dry the paintbrush between clean newspaper. Shake off any excess water first. Hold the newspaper around the bristles and pull the bristles through it. Do this a few times on different clean areas of the newspaper to finish drying the brush.^[27]
- Store brushes with the bristles in the air to help them keep their shape. Alternatively, store brushes horizontally.^[28]

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Question

What is the best way to quickly clean makeup brushes at home?

Ashleigh Grounds is a Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist based in Austin, Texas. Ashleigh has over 11 years of cosmetology experience. She studied cosmetology in Dallas, Texas and completed a two-year hair salon apprenticeship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with Toni & Guy Hair Salon. She is accredited by the International Board of Cosmetology, is a certified Babe Hair Extension Professional, and is a certified Brazilian Blow Out Professional. Ashleigh was voted the best Hair Stylist in Austin for 2012 by RAW Artists and was voted in the top 20 salons for 2020 in Austin by Expertise. Ashleigh's work has been featured in Talentmagazines, BlogTalkRadio, KXAN, and Studio 512.

Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

If you don't have time to wash your brushes thoroughly, wipe them clean with a paper towel soaked with 71% or 99% rubbing alcohol.

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Article SummaryX

To clean brushes, all you need is some water and dish soap. First, get the bristles wet by running them under lukewarm water. Add a drop of gentle soap or cleaner to the palm of your hand. Run the bristles of the brush across your hand to get it nice and soapy. Repeat the process with each brush 1 at a time and set them aside. Then, run the brushes under the running water again to rinse out the soap from the bristles. Use your fingers to strain the excess water out of each brush and shape the bristles back into place. Lay the brushes on a clean towel with the bristles hanging off of the edge to dry. For tips about how to use a solvent to clean paintbrushes, keep reading!

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