HOW TO CLEAN A PAINT BRUSH - Oil Based 

You will not flinch when buying a good brush now knowing it will last and last. $15 for a brush that will last for hundreds of uses will now seem like a real value. I am glad you found some useful info here, and for taking the time to write. It means a lot. Allan

When I hear from someone that one of my videos has saved them time and money, it means a lot. Thanks for writing. Keep in touch. Allan

This is by far the best video that I've seen. I just want to say AskWoodMan that your video just saved me $137.94. I was to throw away 6 purdy paint brushes (4' and 2.5") because I painted someone's porch who bought oil based paint in lieu of latex. He thought it was latex after the fact. I had a hard time trying to get the oil paint off my brushes and I was about to trash all six until I found your video by chance. Thanks man. This is an awesome video with easy to learn steps. I followed your instructions and my brushes are 100% in excellent condition. In my experience, I guess it was a lesson to be learned.

I found this after trying to use the same advice for oil based paint that I used for latex paint to clean my brush. I followed your advice, and got my Mom's old brushes clean in 7/8 of an inch after using high gloss BLACK paint. I am so happy. My parents are both gone now, and I want to use their things as long as I can, since it's all still good. Thanks for posting this!

This was exactly what I was looking for, as I had never worked with oil-based paint until yesterday. The demonstration and explanation of technique were so helpful, and your clear speech / speaking pace allowed me to absorb all of the info presented. Thanks for mentioning safety and environment too - I consider this video a wealth of information!

Thanks for the video. I'm about to paint several pull behind auto trailers and bought 3 gal of gloss black oil based enamel. You being a painter yourself and showing the steps involved in a proper cleaning, is very helpful. Excellent presentation and you went at a pace everyone could follow. Thanks also for not using any foul language, as my youngsters can also enjoy presentations like you gave today. This is not an adult channel and RU-vid should reject any videos from these nasty mouthed video creators. Thanks Again.

I like that you're educating people on using less - saves money and the environment!

That is such an excellent suggestion and point. I am going to do that tomorrow because the first several rinses could definitely be done with used thinner. And the solids settle to the bottom so as long as it is carefully pored and not shaken up, almost none of the old solids come out when pored. Thanks for taking the time to make this observation. Allan

I absolutely LOVE the focus on the environment. I have been uneasy about throwing used white spirit away in the past and now I can recover it. Thankyou

Another thing worth doing is collecting the thinner in a glass jar and after the solids settle out decant to a fresh container. Washing the brush at the end with soap and water and then a little conditioner is also a good restorative for pure bristle.

EXCELLENT, helpful advice. I really appreciate finding a "pro" who knows how to clean an expensive Purdy!

Following your suggestions, I rescued 2 Purdy brushes...THANK YOU!!

EXCELLENT!! Thank you SOOooo much!!! I am having my first ever experience with prepping & painting my exterior window trim & bought crappy Dollar Store brushes so I could throw them out instead of dealing with clean up; I am sure you can imagine I am more than paying the price in frustration & the crappy job I have been producing. I always have a lot questions for any project I'm going to take on & I find that people get annoyed with my need to understand detail, so will decide I'm too anal rather than answer me. I DO consider frugality, the environment, & the fact that when I invest in a tool that I love using, I want to still have it available to use repeatedly. You have addressed EVERYTHING for me!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will be checking out more of your videos! :D

Thank you for this video. My days of wasting thinner are over!

The good thing about this method is takes a long long time to fill the recovery can. Just a few oz per cleaning. Thanks for fielding those queries about the Ultimate Work Table. Much appreciated that you are willing to share your cool table pics

Good idea. You probably noticed my wire brush was in pretty rough shape and needs to be replaced. Will definitely look at the bbq brush. Great tip. Thanks. Allan

Good stuff, man. I was really wasting a lot of mineral spirits, and brushes, and feeling badly about the evaporation of all those chemicals. Was looking for a better way, and I'm glad I came upon this video. Much appreciated.

Thank you very much for showing the environmentally responsible way to dispose of paint cleaning material. Fifty years ago the painters were not so conscientious.

I thank you so much for sharing your experience and expertise. I bought Crown brand paint thinner to clean oil based paint from the same brush you demonstrated with, and honestly, there were no hints, tips, or clues on how to clean anything on the can. I was taken back by that in itself, however lucky me found you on the first try to look for help: My good fortune!

This is really cool. I wanted to find out how to take care of a brush with oil based paint and not have a lot of used, toxic liquids left over. I will try this and not be so averse to it. You call your approach "miserly" but it is actually quite thoughtful and I appreciate the knowledge and care. Thank you!

This is an important video, thanks for sharing this information that seems impossible to find anywhere. I think you should be sponsored by one of the finishing companies and have a link to this video. To me if I spend a bunch of money on a good quality brush and/or a good quality finish, the websites for those companies should have information like this video rather than just a few written instructions. I like the fact that I can use very little at a time to clean the brush, I have even adapted this reduced cleaner use with water as well. Rather than running the water the whole time, I just fill a container, rinse the brush and dump, and redo till brush is clean.

Thank you for taking the time to make this video, also it is inspiring to see you take the time and make the effort to show the reclamation process. Just a quick peak at a video can change a person's thought process on making changes to impact our environment the best we can individually. Thanks again, peace to you!

Great tutorial. like you, I never throw toxic waste into the ground or waste water. I have always used water based stuff in the past until I decided on outdoor varnish (alkyd resin in dearomatised white spirits) using a Hamilton perfection, China bristle brush (almost bought Purdy but these were on offer). I ignored their advice on soap water final rinse after reading your comments below on this. Invaluable video, will clean all my brushes using your technique. A big thank you!

This method just gets the amount of thinner needed down to what I think is the absolute minimum while still doing the job. Thanks Stelios. You look like you are getting a lot of work cone in your new space.

I used this method today, it worked exceptionally well.. I used less thinners and the brush looks like new.. Thank you so much for posting!!

easy to listen to and follow along. Nice job and thank you.

I tried this procedure and worked perfectly. a few months later I had somewhat forgotten the sequence of action and it didn't work, my brush was sticky. I came back to this clip and refreshed my memory and corrected my error and it work again. My point is that this procedure is pure gold. and it works. You need to pay attention to the details and you'll be happy you did. Many thanks to Allan for this useful informative video.

Oh My Goodness this is JUST what I've been looking for!! Seriously, you N-E-V-E-R see ANYBODY making Cleanup Videos!! THANKS Allan!!

This method really works. Plus it conserves mineral spirits. I always dreaded cleaning the brush after oil based painting days. Now I look forward to it. Thanks for posting.

Thanks for mentioning Sherwin Williams. I work there and it's always nice to see someone use and like our products. I hadn't checked when this was made but the company has been really trying to keep our voc ratings down and be environmentally conscious. Our industrial marine coatings are getting better as well.

Just tried your method of cleaning brushes and its the cleanest I've got one in ages. I am now thinking about all the cash I would have saved on vying new brushes if I knew this method years ago!

Your video has saved me time and money : )

I have been using your method to clean my oil brush at work for a couple weeks now. It works great, I am very happy with the results. Thank you Allan.

Well this just solved my brush problem. I can't begin to tell you how many brushes I have gone thru wondering why they were to hard to re-use. This is a great tip and I expect to have my brushes around a long time. Thanks Allan....you're the man!! Chuck Ford....... Houston, Texas.

Thanks Chris. I am glad you found some useful information that can help with your work. Thanks for taking your time to leave such positive comments. Allan

Great tutorial, thanks. I usually ended up wasting a pint of paint thinner every time I cleaned a brush. The wire brush idea is great too.

You're a blessing dude! This was a wonderful clip, your a gentleman.

This is a great video with awesome tips. I like how you actually look at the camera, its like I'm actually hanging outside and working with you. Also, really appreciate the safety perspective (ex. gloves, plenty of ventilation by being out side, minimal use of chemical) and environmental aspect (reclaiming the thinner). Have you tried the cleaning technique of heating vinegar? if so - has it worked for you? Just trying to get an idea of what works best for oil v.s. water based paints. Thanks again! :-D

Well done my friend. It is so refreshing to see someone who knows what they are doing, not reproducing a video that has been done 50 times by others and additionally, I appreciate your care, thoughtfulness in pre planning and explaining your process. Note folks, he is doing this outside which is clearly a 'ventilated" area and wearing gloves.....Thank you for not throwing your old dirty thinner away carelessly and utilizing a "recovery" can. It makes 110% percent and baffles me why people would dump it on the ground and contaminate the earth. Note, if some does spill on a surface, kitty litter will absorb this material and is used to clean up many different types of hazmat materials such as fuel and oil. Every home owner should have some on hand for their driveway in the event of oil or transmission fluid leaks. Regardless, Sir, thank you for creating an instructional video where you aren't learning as you go and repeating an idea. Hat tip from a fellow DIY Tinker-er!

Thank you this is exactly what I was looking for. I especially like the environmental angle you add to the video. Thank you.

I never thought to use the thinner in small portions. That is a great tip Allan thank you for taking the time to make this video

I have 4 brushes that I need to clean from a staining project. I just came across your video and I am going to tackle them tonight. Your technique looks pretty simple and effective. Thanks!

Fantastic, Wood Man! Straight down to it, perfect demo, all the info, no flim-flam. Great!

I was very pleased how well this worked for me. The process was fast enough, and the brush seems really clean (even though I stopped before getting every last bit of color out)--I don't think I've ever cleaned a brush with oil based finish as well as with this technique. I won't describe the technique I was using since it is not as effective as this one. I was cleaning a 3" brush and it soaked up almost all of the mineral spirits I poured in the cup but it was enough to help to clean the brush (sort of remarkable)! Thank you!!

Great vid!! I’m obsessed with keeping my brushes clean. However, the method in which I’ve always used, wastes a TON of water and product! I love how eco friendly this method is as well. Thank you so much! Wish I came across this sooner.

I'm embarrassed to even think how many brushes I've thrown away over the years thinking I'd ruined them. Thank you so much for this video!

I use a similar method for cleaning brushes after painting with alkyd enamel. I put the dirty thinner in a jar and let the paint settle. Then I carefully pour the clean thinner back off the top into a clean jar. Ready to use again. I allow the leftover paint from the dirty jar to harden and then I throw it away.With my method of reclaiming, I might buy one gallon of mineral spirits every other year or so. Very little used or wasted.

Hey Woodman, Thank you for the excellent advice, I have avoided projects and products just because of the clean-up and how much thinner I thought I had to use.

Thanks for the tricks. You could have two containers - one for heavily spoiled thinner and one for the last 8th of an inch that are almost clean.

Thanks for posting this - I am working on rebuilding an old lathe and the repainting with Rustoleum was a real pain with all the brush cleaning. I was looking for a step by step way to clean up afterwards and this is very helpful.

Great tip on using the wire brush and thanks for the advice on using a small amount of thinner multiple times. I have wasted too much thinner over the years.

Fanatastic demonstration and explanation. Haven’t ever learned how to clean up a paint brush from enamel paint properly and was making a hell of a mess. Now I’ll use far less product and get a much better result. I won’t be covered in the stuff myself either. Thanks so much WoodMan.

Thanks, Allan. You've greatly simplified a major pain in my behind. I'll use your method from now on.

Thanks for the tutorial. Always figured paint brushes were disposible, which is why I rarely bought the good ones. I'll invest in a good set and make sure to do this after every use

Thank you so much for sharing!! I really had a hard and messy time with those brushes after painting... was looking for a good advice - and found it! Great video!

Great info, I add a few drops of paint pump oil after cleaning and it helps bristles stay flexible, yet has never added color to next paint job.

A great video and technique. I wont be wasting any more brushes in the future! Thanks for taking the time to make the video.

Well....I knew I needed an expert! I love learning new ideas and better methods, and I did not know the physics of the can. Yay Wood Man!!!!

Great video thanks! I was always throwing out my brushes, so I found this really helpful.

It looks nice to paint outside 💕 I am starting out on my bedroom floor. Thank you!

This really works great! Thanks. This Old House TV show should watch this.

Thank you so very much! I'm using an oil based gel stain. So messy! Gonna use this info tomorrow😋

OOH GOD I JUST LOVE THIS REAL MAN TEACHING HOW TO DO I,M JUST LOST FOR WORDS HOW TO THANK HIM NOW I HAVE A LESSON FOR LIFE AND MY GREAT GREAT GENERATION I GUESS THANK YOU SOO MUCH.

I'm really glad I watched this. Thank you very much for a well done tutorial.

Thank you for this informational video. I had no idea that mineral spirits were so toxic. I will make sure I dispose of it properly. I like those brushes and buy them in multiple sizes for all of my painting projects. now I know how to clean them properly. Thanks!

Thanks for watching. I am glad you got some useful info from my channel. Allan

My city Austin has a hazardous material collection center. We have some really impressive programs for all kinds of recycling.

Thanks! I didn't even know how much I didn't know about cleaning a brush. I've been using cheap disposable brushes for my wood finishing projects because I keep ruining them. Cheap brushes, of course, mean a lower-quality finish. I'll be trying this technique out on my next project, and maybe I'll be upgrading my brushes.

Very good video. The best way to clean and saving the high cost thinners.

Really helpful. I wish I could have learned this method months ago before throwing my brishes. Thanks a lot!

Genius! Great advice for a DIYer like myself

Thank you for this video sir! Really the best tutorial and easy instructions

I've been throwing paint brushes away after a single use recently. I thought it was better for the environment just to throw them away. And also I did not have much success cleaning paint brushes. In another video I found that you can just wash the paint away with water on water based used paint brushes. Then use a comb to maintain the brush during the cleaning process. In this video I've learned how to take care of oil based paint brushes and also how to dispose store the thinner. I'm much more prepared now and feel good about not throwing paint brushes away.

Yes it is a bit different. I just wanted to share this method so people can see you don't have the flood the brush with thinner to get it clean.

What a video! The video! Best regards from the UK.

Nice work!! Will use this technique from now on

just thought I had better give you the kudos for this video... it is saving me heaps on cleaning brushes and its definitely clean at the end.

Thanks Jean-Marc. RU-vid seems to be doing a lot of site maintenance lately, so hopefully the videos will be available to you soon. Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment. Allan

I learned on another video that if you allow your recovery container (the can with the funnel) to sit for a week or so, the paint separates out and settles at the bottom. You can then pour off the paint thinner and re-use it.

Goodman well worth watching :) your brush cover is spotless, I like that.

Very helpful sir.i cleaned my brush the way you did.awsome.thank you sir.

Nice too learn iv alway stuck it in a pot filled to the top with thinners obv iv been doing all wrong Not now dude Love from Bristol England ♥️♥️

I checked in Georgia you have to take the used paint thinner to a designated recycle station. There is also a new company that will let you drop it off in retail locations for a fee (depends on size of bucket).

Thanks so much!! Really appreciate you sharing your experience 😊

I really like how you have a passion for everything you do, even the jobs that not many of us 'like' such as cleaning paint brushes and sharpening drill bits.

Thank u kind sir... There several ways out here but yours seem legit

Thanks Manuel.

Great video. Thanks for your work making this.

Thank you sir... really helpful and also environmentally responsible technique.

And I feel compelled to tell you that I have throw away more than a few nice brushes in the past. Thanks again!

You know you're getting a lecture from America when the guy's standing there wearing a cowboy hat and there's a freight train horn blowing in the distance.

Clear demonstration. Thanks.

Thanks for the info. Nice video. I agree, a Purdy is a nice Brush. Thanks again!

Another great tip from the Woodman! Thanks so much buddy, keep the vids coming!

wow good technic ...i will do the same what you do...i always have a problem with my brush. after i clean my brush its still sticky ...thanks a lot buddy

This was a great video! But now I need a video on how to fix brushes you’ve never cleaned properly before 😂 because this one only works if you’ve done a half decent job

Just doing what I can my friend, got lots of help from a guy down in Austin - Texas ;)

This worked great on a paintbrush I was ready to throw away, thanks!

Thanks...watching this covered in oil paint...I have been using Chalk Paint and acrylic...unprepared for the clean up!

Thank you for this video.... it was very helpful to me!