by Mark Hurley

Created on: September 20, 2009   Last Updated: September 24, 2009

Cleaning brushes and rollers after painting is a pretty simple task that only takes a few minutes and saves a lot of money, especially if the brushes are of good quality. The methods used for cleaning brushes are determined by; the type of brush and paint the type of paint used. On rollers, I would only clean them if I were going to use them pretty quickly and if I had been using water based paint. Rollers can be preserved for a few days after using oil based paints by a simple method.

Rollers, which have been used in oil based paint can be preserved by wrapping them in some sort of plastic. You could use a couple of cheap department store or grocery bags. First take them off the roller handle, wet rollers, that sit on the handles will form to the shape of the wire, plastic, or whatever is holding them in place and sometimes this will happen overnight. This makes for a bumpy paint job and a lot of headaches when you start back painting. The same goes with roller covers that have been used in water based paint and cleaned. You should remove them so they will dry to their natural round shape. In my painting experience an oil based covered paint roller is only good for a few days to a week, then the paint starts to set and the cover will not take as much paint as it should when starting back to paint.

Water based roller covers may be cleaned easily, especially if it is warmer weather. Leave the cover or roller on the handle, get an extension handle so the paint will not spray on you, and take it to a place in your yard where you can spray it down good without getting on houses cars, sidewalks, etc. Have a rock or some other object that will raise the roller off the ground, put your foot on the back of the handle, and let the water just barely hit the top of the roller, moving it back and forth to get all the length of the roller. The roller will spin freely and sling the paint out, keep doing this till you see clear liquid. After you have done, this take the cover off the roller and let it dry, this may be done several times before time to get another roller cover.

Brushes are pretty simple to clean also. If you have used a brush in a water based paint, take it to running water and hold it under the water while squeezing the bristles. It is good to have a slight backward motion with your palm to force water up into the bristles on the inside, a lot of paint collects there, especially after painting over head. When the water running out of the brush is clear you are through. Most quality brushes have a sleeve that fits around the head of the brush, put the brush back in this and it will hold its shape. Oil based brushes are easy to clean also. Either get a thinner, mineral spirits, or even use kerosene as I do, kerosene seems to linger in the brushes which are usually some kind of animal hair for oil based paint. This helps the bristle to stay soft and easier to clean when painting the next time. Put some of whatever you are going to use in the bottom of your cleaning pail and do as with water based with your palms squeezing the cleaner up into the bristle, you may have to change cleaner several times. After it runs clear put that brush in it sleeve and put away till the next time.

Different painters use different methods. Find one that you are comfortable with and use it. Happy painting.

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