How to get dried paint out of your paintbrushes tutorial

Today I would like to share how I clean and how I have saved some of my brushes. I have seen artists destroy paint bushes just by letting paint dry in the bristles. Some brushes are very inexpensive, but the cost can add up after a while. Some brushes are very expensive and it can be a tragedy when they get ruined by dry paint. What I usually do is clean them right after I use them, but on occasion they need to be deep cleaned or I have let the paint dry on them (shame on me!).

This is what you will need to start- murphy oil soap(available at most dollar, grocery, and big box stores), a clean jar, some cling wrap, and dirty paint brush

1. pour a small amount of the murphy oil soap into the jar.

2. Work the soap into the bristles gently against the bottom of the jar.

Optional: sometimes if there is a lot of dried paint, the brush will need to be wrapped in cling wrap so it can soak and the soap won’t dry. It can be left to soak for 30 minutes up to overnight. a ziplock back can be used if wrap isn’t available

3. Work the brush gently in the palm of your hand. You can use your fingers and nails to loosen stubborn paint.

4. Rinse the brush really well with cool water. If the brush still has dried paint in it. repeat process.

After I get the paint out. I like to follow up with a little ivory bar soap. It is so cheap and does a great job cleaning, conditioning, and shaping brushes.

This method can be used with oil paint and acrylic paint. I have even gotten dried paint out of my clothes with the murphy oil soap. I hope this helps!