What is the best way to clean paint brushes used with acrylic or oil paints?

My brushes never seem to get clean! It's so annoying!What is the best way to clean paint brushes used with acrylic or oil paints?
OIL: First remove excess paint with a rag or paper toweling, then use


Mineral spirits or turpentine to clear the remaining paint from your brushes, pour some into a can or jar, insert a piece of screen with corners bent down to raise it from the bottom and drag your brush across the screen to clear the bristles, now wash them with soap (I use Dove dish soap) and water to clean them; condition the natural hair or bristle with your favorite hair conditioner and shape them before you store them. Storing the brushes hanging bristles down will assure longivity( I use a coil strung under a shelf and just press the handles into the coil). For long term storage of natural hair or bristle brushes condition with coconut oil or cold pressed olive oil and place in insect proof container. Synthetic brushes do not need conditioner or oil based storage...just wash, shape and hang.





Acrylic..same, but use denatured alcohol in place of mineral spirits or turpentine. Do not oil condition synthetic brushes.What is the best way to clean paint brushes used with acrylic or oil paints?
Brush soap. You can buy it at any art supply store. Brushes that were used with oil paint can first be cleaned with turpentine or turpenoid and then washed with brush soap. The acrylic ones can be cleaned with water and then brush soap.





You can also leave a little soap in the bristles and shape the brush to dry that way. It helps condition bristles.
Any good brush cleaner will work, but if it's for oil paint, I would try soaking it in mineral spirits ('paint thinner' at most stores) or if it's really dry, use Lacquer thinner. These are both flammable so use the proper care. Whatever method you use to clean your brushes for whatever type medium, after you have the paint out, wash with soap and warm water, then if you're storing them for period of time, coat them with Lard oil. This will keep the brush hairs moist and protect against breaking. Lard oil can be purchased at www.dickblick.com or most sign painting supply stores.


Hope this helps
Theres this soap called ';The Masters Hand Soap'; that really works wonders, even with dried paint if you're willing to work with it enough. Try soaking the used brush in turpentine or paint thinner until youre ready for clean up, but if youre in a pinch sometimes dishwashing liquid will work ok.
Try cleaning the brushes with a paint thinner right after you ve finished painting, then use hand soap to wash off the rest, if the paint has dried for a long time you can repeat the procedure and dip them in milk and let em stay for a while, this will soften the brush.
soak brushes that have dried acrylic on them in Murphy Oil Soap, full strength. It may take a couple of weeks but eventually the paint will soften. If you don't have time to clean brushes, let them sit in Murphy Oil Soap until you can get to it.
for acrylics i use a bar of soap n water, hope this helps

prom hair