We've learned many helpful tricks that we'd be happy to share with you.

Handyman Tip

Cleaning paint brushes after using oil paint.

After painting with oil paint clean your brushes immediately with paint thinner.  Pour an inch of paint thinner in a small container. Swish your brush around in the paint thinner until most of the paint has dissolved. Pour the used paint thinner into an empty re-sealable can or bottle - (don't throw it away and don't pour it down the sink.) Repeat the process with some more clean paint thinner. Pour this used thinner in the detergent bottle. You might have to repeat this a third time. Remove as much of the paint thinner from the brush as you can in a dry rag and then wash the brush with dish soap or laundry detergent. Rinse the brush well and shake the excess water out of it and hang it to dry.

Next time you clean a brush that was used in oil paint use the paint thinner in the re-sealable  bottle, the solids will have sunk to the bottle of the bottle enough to use it for the first and maybe second cleaning of the brush, use new thinner for the final cleaning of the brush.

If you clean your paint brushes they will last a long time and you will be able to afford to buy good brushes that way. Good paint brushes are a joy to work with and they make you look good!

Yes! We paint!