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Painting, decorating and home improvement tips blog

Cleaning a paint brush

Posted by Adrian
October 17th, 2019

Paint Brush

Cleaning a paint brush

Whether you are a professional painter and decorator, a hobbyist or DIYer you will need to clean paint brushes at some point. Brushes range hugely in prices depending on size and quality from just a few pence to several pounds. You may prefer to simply throw them out when you are done, but is that really cost effective? If you spend the best part of £20 on a brush do you really want to throw it away after just one use?

You could store them in a storage product, but this is OK if you intend to use the brush again in the short term and in the same colour. If you are not going to use a brush say within 3-6 months and use a different colour your best bet is to clean out the brush and store it correctly, this way your brush will last for far longer and be in tip top condition giving a good finish every time you use it.

Cleaning and storing your paint brush

Before you clean or store your paint brushes you need to be aware of the type of paint you have been using, either water or oil based, as this will determine how you clean or store your brushes.

Whichever type of paint you have used, remove as much paint from your brush as possible.

Cleaning brushes – water based paints

Run the brush under a running tap, have the bristles facing downwards to prevent washing paint further in the brush where it could dry and go hard. Wash it out until the water runs clear, you can use some mild soap to help remove colour from the bristles and a brush comb to remove any stubborn paint.

Once all the paint has been removed, store in the original package or sleeve or wrapped in kitchen towel or paper to prevent the bristles from splaying out.

Cleaning brushes – Oil based paints

Oil based paint requires a slightly different approach to cleaning than water based paints. Oil based paints need a solvent to break down to oils in the paint allowing it to come out of the brush, unlike water based paints that can simply be removed with water.

To clean oil based paints from brushes, remove as much paint from the brush as possible by wiping it on the edge of the paint can. Then you will need to use white spirit or a brush cleaner to wash the brush in, this will dissolve the paint within the brush. You may have to do this a couple of times with clean white spirit or brush cleaner to get the paint out. Once the paint is removed you can use a brush comb to remove any hardened paint from the bristles, then wash in warm soapy water and once all the white spirit or brush cleaner has been washed out you should store the brush in its original packaging or paper towel to keep the bristles straight and in good condition, ready for it’s next use.

Paint brush and paint brush in cover

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Review of Arroworthy Decorating Products

Posted by Adrian
October 27th, 2017

Arroworthy products

Review of Arroworthy Decorating Products

I was recently sent a box of Arroworthy Decorating Products from Coleman Bros Ltd, I always like receiving surprise boxes in the post! I had been chosen from twitter to try out some of the Arroworthy products. Coleman Bros Ltd are launching these products at this years National Painting and Decorating show in Coventry and they wanted some feedback from professional decorators.

I was more than happy to try these new products, I like trying new products out. So here is my review.

My Review of Arroworthy Decorating Products

Three Arrowworthy roller sleeves
I was sent the following products,

  • ArroWorthy PolyMicro roller Sleeve
  • ArroWorthy Microfiber Roller Sleeve
  • ArroWorthy Glossdel Plus White Lintless Roller Sleeve
  • Arroworthy Barracuda Microfibre Jumbo 4″ Mini Roller & Frame Set
  • Arroworthy Barracuda 4″ Mini Roller Frame
  • Arroworthy Finultra 1.5″ Straight Cut Standard Handle
  • Arroworthy Barracuda 9″ Roller Frame

All the roller Sleeves performed well, with no shedding, they held a good amount of paint whilst leaving a smooth surface. They also cleaned out well. I used the Finultra brush on new wood, to prime and undercoat using a water based paints. It had good paint pick up due to its long filament and was stiff enough thus ideal for cutting in.

The Barracuda 9″ roller frame was a 1.75″ not a 1.5″, so UK standard not US so would fit my existing sleeves, it felt good and strong and has a cageless design, the bit I really liked was the metal spring which holds the roller sleeves on tight, so no slipping as you often get as the sleeves and frames get worn.
The Barracuda 4″ roller frame and sleeve has the exact same design, so a real plus.

Over all I was impressed with all of the products I tried from Arroworthy, so thanks to Coleman Bros Ltd for sending them to try, I shall certainly be using them and if over a long period of use they still hold up well I shall consider buying more Arroworthy products from Coleman Bros.

All images are copyright Adrian Rayfield. Click on images below for larger image.

Arrowworthy Barracuda 9 inch

Arroworthy Barracuda Microfibre Jumbo 4″ Mini Roller & Frame Set

Arroworthy Barracuda 4″ Mini Roller Frame

Arroworthy Finultra 1.5″ Straight Cut

Arroworthy Finultra 1.5″ Straight Cut

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My review of the Paint Soap brush cleaner

Posted by Adrian
June 28th, 2017

Cleaned paint brush

My review of the Paint Soap brush cleaner

I recently followed a company on Twitter (@PaintSoap) and I was asked if I wanted to try some of their product. Me, not being one to turn down the opportunity of trying out products I said yes. Paint Soap is based in the USA but were happy to send me some samples to the UK. They currently do not sell in the UK but they are hoping to start selling in the UK by the end of 2017.

About a week later a package arrived with the samples of Paint Soap for me to try. I was keen to give it a go and used it a couple of times on my next job. I liked the idea of being able to leave the brush to ‘clean itself’ as it soaked in the product, leaving me time to carry on with what I needed too.

After a few minutes of soaking I returned with anticipation to see how well the paint soap did, I removed the brush from the Paint Soap and rinsed it out, it was clean, and used a lot less water than I normally would have.

So what do I think of Paint Soap?

Paint Soap worked well and I like the idea of what is stands for, it saves time, saves money and your brushes, it is also eco friendly and the residue that is left can be disposed of safely as it is non toxic.

This product will only work on water based paints, such as emulsions, so no oil based products, and will not clean out dried paint as it reacts with the wet paint. So you can’t leave your brushes to dry out before cleaning them, but that goes with all paint tools.

So this product can save you, and your client water if you wash brushes out on the job. It can save you time as you can leave brushes to soak whilst carrying on with your work. And it cleans out the paint from your brushes easily and effortlessly.

My video review of me using Paint Soap


To see the rest of my videos, visit my channel on YouTube.

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