Cleaning a chalk paint brush is very important to maintain the quality of the brush and prolong its life. Unfortunately, after painting for hours with your paint brush for chalk paint, it starts to develop some lumps. And if you haven’t used your brush for a long time, the paint gets dry and solidifies in it. You can get rid of this by boiling them or using a dishwasher to clean the brushes.
In general, there are several simple ways to clean chalk paint brushes at home.
How can I do it?
Boil the brush in water
Boil some water in a pot and put your dried-up brushes inside for about 10 minutes. Then pull out the brushes from the water and wipe off the paint in the sink.
Dishwasher
This method is best for those who have a dishwasher at home. You can use your dishwasher to clean your wooden brush. Load them inside and run a normal cycle without any detergent in it. If the paint doesn’t come off after the first run, you should repeat it.
Acetone for cleaning brushes
This method is the best, but you have to buy paint thinner or acetone before using it on your wooden brush. You can pour some amount of acetone into a plastic bowl and put your brush inside it for several minutes until the paint comes off. It will help you get rid of the dried paint out of your brush immediately.
Then, clean them with water and leave them dry over a newspaper or towel so that dust can come out from them.
It is the simplest method among all of them. Just put some soap in your paintbrush and rub them until they get cleaned. Please don’t leave any dried paint in it because you can spoil your new brush. Then wash them with water and leave the brushes dry overnight. It will help you to clean your paintbrush easily.
Clean the brush under running water
If you don’t have any proper tools at home, this is an excellent way to clean your brushes after using chalk paint or different paints. Just put your paintbrush into a bowl with water, and then run your brush under running water.
Use cold water to clean the brushes, and you should never use hot water because it can spoil wooden components in your brush. After this, leave them dry over a towel or newspaper overnight so that paint comes out from the brush easily.
Are there some special products for cleaning paint brushes?
For cleaning paint brushes, a special brush cleaner can be used. These products should always be added directly to or on the wet brush (never use them on dry paint brushes). Brush cleaners are available in different types: liquid, gel, powder, etc. Usually, it would help if you let the product act for some minutes before rinsing the brush.
Most people prefer powder-based products as they are easy to use and do not have any adverse effects on the environment. The powder sticks to the paint residues and is washed away with water.
How not to spoil a chalk brush?
Never let your chalk paint brush dry: Preferably, clean your brush every time you finish painting.
Drying your chalk paint brush: NEVER dry your chalk paint brushes using a blower! Instead, wipe excess water from the bristles by holding it tightly on the tip of the stick and pressing it over a strong paper towel. Keep rotating until no more moisture comes out.
Storage: Clean brushes should be wrapped in paper towels and placed inside a plastic bag. It should then be stored in a place where it will not contact dust or dirt or anything that might spoil it.
A final note on cleaning a chalk paint brush: Never scrub your brush hard when cleaning it. Bristles will come out of the ferrule and spoil it if this happens.
