Brushes, rollers, pads and other tools used with water-based paints should be cleaned using soap and water. First, wipe off any excess paint onto old newspaper, then fill a container - a large-necked jar is ideal - with mild
household detergent and suspend the tools in it for a few minutes. Don't let the water cover wooden handles as this causes the wood to swell and eventually to split. 'Swizzle' the brushes around in the water and then work the bristles of the brush into a bar of household soap, right down to the ferrule, to dislodge the paint. Any paint that is really dried in can be removed with a nail brush. If this fails, try restoring it by suspending it in a proprietary brush cleaner overnight.
Rinse brushes well in clean water and then stand them in a container of warm water with a dollop of hair conditioner for around 20 minutes. The conditioner will stop the bristles from becoming brittle and breaking off onto your next paint job. Squeeze out the excess water, shake the brush and leave it to dry, ideally suspended by the handle.
Solvent-Based Paints
As with water-based paint, wipe the excess onto old newspaper before suspending your brush in a jar of white spirit or proprietary brush cleaner. Stir the brush vigorously and press it against the side of the jar to dislodge paint. When you take the brush out of the solvent, draw the bristles across the edge of the jar top to 'squeeze' out excess solvent. Use a stiff brush or nail brush to 'comb out' any dried-in paint. Keep repeating the process in clean solvent until the brush is clean and then wash it in soapy water and rinse it well. Again, it's worth conditioning brushes, especially after harsh solvents have been used.
Sponges, combs and rollers should be cleaned and stored in the same manner as brushes, but don't soak plastic decorators' combs in white spirit or they'll dissolve. Just wipe them over with a rag lightly dampened with solvent to remove oil-based paints.
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