Cleaning old paintbrushes....worth it or not?

[Calv]

I've just been looking through my cupboards and i seem to have an awful lot of old paintbrushes that are sort of festering in tubs of white spitit and the likes. Some hard, some okish, some covered in what i can only describe as a white "gunk"!
Should i bin these or is there anything i can do to make them usable again? Also, as it seems that my Screwfix specials as someone put it are'nt really the best brush to be using if i want a decent finish, any recomendations for someone who does'nt want to spend the earth on a brush?

Thanks..

Calv.

 

[ColG]

one of the nicest "run of the mill" brushes I've used for painting are B&Q fine finish brushes. They're not the cheapest and certainly not the most expensive but give excellent results.

As regards cleanig up old brushes, I wouldn't bother. By the time you've spent all that time and effort, you'll likely end up with a brush that still only has workable bristle at the tip - CHUCK 'EM.

I stopped cleaning paint rollers years ago - hassle versus cost - no contest.

Col

 

[DaveL]

An old trick that works for getting oil paint out of brushes is to stand them in Jeyes fluid. :shock:

Don't laugh at me it does work, I have rescued some good brushes using it.

The harder the oil based paint is the better it seems to work.

I am not sure if it will work on modern water based paint, never needed to try.

 

[StevieB]

I second the reccomendation of the B&Q fine finish brushes, not only are the bristles good, the slighly rubbery handles are comfortable too!

Whether I clean brushes or not depends on the size, I usually throw half inch and inch brushes, clean anything larger at least once. If you cannot be bother to actaully clean them thoroughly, suspend them in white spirit after sloshing around, then wait a couple of weeks for the paint to settle, and move the brush to a new pot of white spirit, slosh it and stand again. Repeat as often as needed to get the brush clean. Does require consuming large quantities of jam to get all those glass jars though :lol:

Steve.

 

[UKTony]

I have a bucket in the corner of my workshop, with an old cheap drill and one of those brush holders, quick dip in turps/water and a spin and brushes are as good as new no matter what they have been used for, even use it to clean paint pads and sponges its £12.99 from these people

http://www.thebluepenguin.com/dandy.htm

 

[tim]

The roller cleaner from the same people is BRILLIANT. However, most cordless drills dont spin fast enough, therefore its leccy drill and RCD. Also buy a cheap coal scuttle (galv) checking no holes in the bottom and use that to clean the brushes and rollers !

That way you don't end up with paint up your legs and across the wall of the side passage at home. As if anyone would be stupid enough to do that.....

T

 

[Alf]

I always understood good quality brushes improve with age - fewer bristles dropping out for a start. Surely not just an old wive's tale to get me cleaning paint brushes..?! :roll:

Cheers, Alf

 

[houtslager]

I always understood good quality brushes improve with age - fewer bristles dropping out for a start. Surely not just an old wive's tale to get me cleaning paint brushes..?!

nope Alf, it is tru, I've got a nice collection of brushes from the days when I did Building maintainence and some are at least 10 years old.And they still have bristles.As it was then and still is now - buy the best you can - lasts a lot longer and with brushes they DO get better.