I made a mistake and left my natural bristle brush in some mineral spirits after I had put poly on a board. After 2 days it seemed to have fat caked in the bristles. And it was stiff. I flushed the spirits, added some more and softened up the brush, but now its coated with what looks like fat/grease.
Is this brush done for, or is there a resonable way to clean it?
Try hot water and detergent. What is the "natural fiber", hair or plant? Oil and fat are generally the same thing, just with different melting points, so the build up is probably something similar to soap. You could try one of the products designed to remove soap scum, but you stand a good chance of destroying the brush if you guess wrong about what to try first.
Save the spirits -- pitch the brush and start over.
when the cost of repair exceeds the value of the brush, replace it. i know the wood finishing guys love the expensive brushes so it's like parting with a good broken tool. for everyday disposable use on latex the dollar store brushes save money because you would pay your hourly painter more to clean a brush than replace it. the blue masking tape that can be removed after the paint dries is great.
do you have a thinner for the Poly. If so I would soak the brush,laying flat in that and see if it would dissolve the poly to where it could be cleaned in the normal way. I've rescued some horrible brushes by just usingthe right solvents.
Yes, I agree, you need a new brush!
Guthrie Cooper
Sure - use brush cleaner. Not hinner, soap, etc...brush cleaner from any hardware store.
-- dadiOH ____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at
I've had some luck by soaking in acetone or lacquer thinner in similar cases. The "brush cleaner" sounds like a better bet, if you have to buy it anyway.
Bob
Soak the bristles in paint remover (not water based). Squeeze as much as possible out of the bristles, rinse a couple of times (very thoroughly)in mineral spirits. Don't let the paint remover dry on the bristles - smoosh the bristles down into m.s. repeatedly to be sure the paint remover washes out. Before you dry it and store it, spread the bristles to be sure all the gunk is removed. If paint remover costs more than the brush, throw the brush away and chalk it up to experience.
I was trying to be environmentally responsible by not just tossing the brush because it was less expensive to buy a new one. But at this point it seems like it may require copious amounts of various solvents and a bit of experimentation.
The poly called for a natural bristle brush thats why I bought one. Most of my other brushes are nylon/polyester.
Ill buy another brush...Thanks for all the help and information!
Nylon/polyester are only for water base things...they don't absorb water. ____________
I'd buy the brush cleaner. It can be reused and is a damn sight cheaper than a decent bristle brush.
-- dadiOH ____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at
After 2 days it seemed to have
I've done the same thing and the persistent cleaning in min spirits did the trick. Yea, you could waste a lot of solvent but you just keep depositing the dirty stuff in a larger container. It eventually settles out and you can reuse it for the dirtiest level of brush cleaning in the future. You will see a nasty buildup of the same fatty crap on the bottom and it will stay there as long as you don't poke at it. You just pour off what you need and pitch it.
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