Are you looking to learn how to clean dried latex paint brushes easily? Well, in today’s post I’m going to discuss how you do this using fabric softener often found in most homes. We’ve all been there. You rush to your nearest store, find some good quality paint brushes, but as soon as you’ve finished your paintwork, you let them lie there still coated in paint.
Ideally, you want to thoroughly wash your paintbrush before the paint dries out but somehow life happens and you ‘forget’ all about it. Of course, until the next time you want to paint again. That’s when you realize, your paintbrushes are dry as a rock coated with dried latest paint.
Most people I know, will just throw away the brushes and buy new ones. But this isn’t the best solution. Instead, there are ways to easily clean them and turn them into brand new paintbrushes that you can use over and over.
And, I’ll cover the most effective ones including using readily available fabric softener, vinegar, and commercial solvents.
Sounds exciting? Let’s begin:
How to Clean Dried Latex Paint Brushes Using Fabric Softener
What You’ll Require
- Warm water
- A laundry bucket
- Dry paint brushes
- Any type of fabric softener
The steps to follow
1.Begin by tapping your rock-hard paintbrush on a firm object such as a piece of wood. This will remove any excess paintbrush as much as possible. Remember every little bit helps.
2. Mix the fabric softener with water inside the laundry bucket. As a general rule, use a 1:32 ratio of softener to water. For example, for a gallon of water, use half a cup fabric softener. However, what you finally decide to use depends on how many brushes you want to clean or how large they are.
3. Soak the brushes inside the mixture for about 5 minutes. This will allow the mixture to penetrate the tough dried latex paint.
4. After the five-minute wait, start to swirl the paintbrushes in the mixture and watch as paint easily comes out of the brushes. Continue until all the paint settles at the bottom of the bucket.
5. Rinse the brushes with clean lukewarm water while gently shaking them.
6. Once the brushes are clean to your satisfaction, dry them properly with a paper towel. At this point, the brush bristles may look rather deformed. You can solve this problem by reshaping them with your hands – do this before they completely.
7. Store the brushes and let them continue to dry horizontally on a flat surface.
Pro Tip: The main advantage of using fabric softener to clean your brushes is it makes them better with time by softening the bristles. This method is only effective on latex or water-based paints. Don’t use it on oil-based paintbrushes.
How to Clean Dried Latex Paint Brushes with Vinegar
What You’ll Require
- A boiling pot
- Dry paintbrushes
- Regular white vinegar
- Disposable aluminum pan
The Steps to Follow
1.Begin by developing the right mindset that this process is going to suck. Especially, if you can’t put up with the pungent smell from acetic acid – a vital component of vinegar. I don’t want you to get any nasty surprises. Now that you are prepared move on to step two.
2. Place the dried latex paint brushes on top of a disposable aluminum pan in preparation.
3. Pour the regular white vinegar into a boiling pot and bring it to simmer (almost boiling point). You can also use apple cedar vinegar. This is the hard part especially when it comes to the smell.
4. Once heated, pour the hot vinegar over the paintbrushes in the aluminum pan. Let the hard rock brushes soak for 10 to 20 minutes.
5. Next, you need to use a brush wire or comb to remove the softened paint from the brush. Then, you need to wash them with warm soapy water.
6. Rinse the paintbrushes with clean water and let them dry on a flat surface.
Pro Tip: Just like the fabric softener method, this is only safe for water-based paints. Using vinegar to clean dried latex paint brushes is considered one of the most inexpensive methods. However, be ready to put up with the smell and lose some of your time.
How to Clean Dried Latex Paint Brushes with Commercial Solvents
What You’ll Require
- Non-food container
- Dried latex paint brushes
- Commercial solvents such as Sunnyside Paint Remover or turpentine
The Steps to Follow
1.Begin by tapping your paintbrush on a firm object such as a piece of wood. This will remove any excess paintbrush as much as possible.
2. Pour a bit of the commercial solvent into a non-food container.
3. Start to swirl the paint brushes in the mixture and watch as paint easily comes out of the brushes. Continue until all the paint settles at the bottom of the bucket.
5. Rinse any remaining solvent off the brushes with clean water.
6. Once the brushes are clean to your satisfaction, dry them properly with a paper towel. Reshape the bristles before the brushes dry completely
7. Store the brushes and let them continue to dry horizontally on a flat surface.
Pro Tip: This is the most effective method to clean your brushes. Unlike fabric softener or vinegar, this method works with oil or water-based paints. You need to make sure you purchase an appropriate solvent for the paint you’ve used.
Conclusion
You’ve just learned how to clean dried latex paint brushes using the three most popular and effective methods. While one may be better than the others, it all depends on your specific preferences. Therefore, having this information will come in handy next time you’re working on the next painting project.
To recap, you can easily use fabric softener, normal white vinegar, or commercial solvent to clean your rock hard paintbrushes. But as a general rule, prevent this situation by ensuring you wash your brushes as soon as possible before the paint dries.
I’d like to know your thoughts about this topic in the comments section or engage me on our social media pages. Keep decorating your home!