Freeze Paintbrush For Tomorrow

alan julier

June 15, 20090 found this helpful

I think it would be better to clean the paintbrush rather than freezing it! The only problem is the time and hassle of running under water for what seems like hours or dipping in paint thinner/cleaner, flexing the bristles to get the cleaner into the root of the bristle and drying on paper tissues to absorb the dirty cleaning fluid.

Thankfully, I have found a quick method of cleaning a paintbrush, which should take less than five minutes. I simply place the brush in a device I found on www.stirtsystems.com called a Multi-Purpose Paint Roller, whose handle can also be used to fit brushes into an electric drill and spin at a high speed to eject the paint from the paint brush. You can dip it into cleaner/water and repeat several times in a few minutes, remember to place the brush in a cardboard box or old paint tin to catch the ejected paint first! The result is a clean, dry brush in minutes.

Barbara Huggins
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June 16, 20090 found this helpful

I have been freezing my paint brushes and rollers overnight for a long time. I use a plastic shopping bag. Dunno's method sounds like a lot more work!

I put my paint brush in a plastic bag in the freezer and a year later the brush and paint were fine.

Louise

August 16, 20040 found this helpful

Putting your paint loaded brush in a plastic bag with a bag tie or elastic band round will work for overnight too.

Thanks for all the great tips.
So, ... for my 6 month job:
. an old roller squeezes away the ferrule clean;
. the mfctr's solvent keeps it moist in a flat baggie;
. freeze it a few days off and on, whenever.
Gotta get some more kinds of wire brushes.

Gloria Z
Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 147 Feedbacks

July 16, 20120 found this helpful

I just slip a plastic grocery bag over the paint tray with the brush inside it & tighten the end of the bag. This will keep the brush for up to 3 days without a problem.