4 useful lifehacks with paint brushes: to make painting easier and cleaner
Painting is always associated with dirty hands, clothes, floor and tray. And brushes with dried paint sometimes just have to be thrown away. But there are some good ways to extend the life of a paint tool, as well as facilitate painting.
Soak a new brush in hot water
The bristles stretching along with the paint complicate the staining process and make the surface uneven. So that the pile does not come out, it is necessary to prepare new brushes for work.
Immediately after the purchase you need to wash them with soap or dishwashing detergent - weak hairs will fall out. Then soak the brush in hot water for 2-3 hours and leave to dry in suspension. In hot water, the bristles swell and fill the entire space inside the mount.
Before you start working with water-based paints, you need to dip the pile into water. It will swell, soften, and the paint will lie more evenly. If it is planned to work with oil paint, then the bristles must be absolutely dry.
Blank tray foil
If you bought a tray more than once, then you will have to get rid of the dried-up coloring mixture on it after each use using a solvent. In order not to constantly wash the container, it will be more practical to cover it with a film or foil, which can be immediately discarded after completion of work.
A plastic bag torn along the seam and laid on the bottom of the container in one layer is also suitable. But first you will have to moisten the bath with water so that the plastic sticks and does not slip.
Reusable paint brush
Often, people just leave the brush after painting in a jar of clean water until the next use. So the soiled pile does not harden completely, but next time it will be difficult to use the tool.
In order for the paint brush to serve as long as possible and always be like new, you need to wash it after each use.
For oil paint, the following method is suitable:
- Take a cloth, wrap the bristles, squeeze and carefully remove the main paint residues with it.
- Thoroughly wash the villi with a solvent and then with warm water and soap, detergent for dishes or washing powder.
- Rinse with running water.
- After that, gently comb the bristles with a rare comb, removing the remnants of the coloring mass, and at the end rinse again.
- Blot the pile with a soft cloth, gently squeeze it out, leveling the hairs.
- Put the brush with the handle down to dry in a jar with a neck slightly less than the width of the metal mount.
Instead of a solvent for oil paint, white spirit is also suitable.
Cleaning the brush from water-based and other types of water-based paints should be done as follows:
- Rinse thoroughly in warm water, separating the hairs with your fingers.
- Squeeze out water, pat dry with a soft cloth, smooth hairs.
- Having tied the bristles with gauze, hang the instrument with a pile down.
If the paint on the brush has already hardened too much, then you can dip it in a glass with vinegar and leave it to soak for 2 hours. If this does not help, then you need to put the brush in the pan, pour the bristles completely with a solution of vinegar and boil for an hour.
After cleaning and completely drying the pile, the brush should be slightly wrapped with a cloth dampened in a solvent, secured with adhesive tape on top, and then hung down with bristles for further storage. So the pile will not bend and will be like new.
To not drip paint
Paint can periodically drip from the brush, especially when you paint the ceiling.So that she does not drip on her hands, you can do the following:
- Take a lid from a can, preferably a two-liter, rather than a small mayonnaise.
- Make a hole for the handle in it.
- Push the handle into the hole until it stops.
In this case, the paint will drip into the lid, and it will become easier to work. Instead of a cap, you can use a foam sponge or a cut bottom of a plastic bottle.
