All painting tools can be divided into four blocks:

• paint brushes;
• paint rollers;
• trowels, spatulas, smoothers, trowels, graters;
• auxiliary painting tools (buckets, rags, mixers, scrapers, etc.)

As it becomes clear from the title of the article, we will talk about the first block of painting tools - paint brushes. Everyone knows that all brushes have different shapes the material from which the bristles and the brush body itself are made, and so on. Surely some readers have already thought that all this was done for some purpose, and not just like that, and the differences in the brushes are not at all accidental. All this is true, because each brush is designed for certain types of painting work, or more precisely, for painting certain surfaces, or for certain types paint and varnish material(). But you can paint with any brush, you say. Can. But for what surface and what material is this brush intended?

Flutz brushes- flat paint brushes. The flute is usually not very thick and has a fairly long handle. The bristle material used is both natural and artificial. With such a brush you can paint almost any surface, but it’s most convenient to paint a flat one. For painting with water-based screens, a float made of artificial bristles with fluffed ends is used, because as soon as the artificial bristles will not swell from exposure to water and, accordingly, leave marks on the surface to be painted. For materials on nitro and alkyd bases, natural brushes are used, they are the most common. The flute is the most flexible painting tool if it is in proper condition.

Radiator brush- a type of flute. It is used for painting sectional structures, usually heating radiators. The angled handle provides good access to corners and gaps between profiles. In addition to this very curvature, the radiator brush differs from the flutes in the length of the handle (sometimes up to a meter) and popularity (not everyone carries such brushes). Convenient to use for painting remote corners and quarters.

Convenient for painting places where a flute cannot be reached - quarters of windows and doors, U-shaped profiles. A thick round brush is generally inconvenient to use. The handle of this brush is usually long, the handle is wooden, and the bristles are almost always natural. Not very convenient for coloring pipes and other oval and round profiles and objects. “Takes” a lot of paint, but “gives” little.

Maklovitsa- nod rectangular shape And large sizes. Outwardly, it somewhat resembles a small mop. Haircuts usually have artificial bristles, less often natural bristles. They are not primarily used for decorative works- rinsing old whitewash, applying wallpaper or walls with glue, priming, etc. It is better not to paint with brushes at all, but if you want to go extreme, you need a brush with thick natural bristles.

When purchasing a brush, you should definitely pay attention to a few key points. First, you should check the strength of the bristles. If you pull the brush by the bristles, the hairs should not separate from the brush. For o paints large surface choose a wide brush, but make sure that the handle is not too short. For painting with aqueous solutions, it is better to choose a brush with artificial bristles, for other solutions - with natural ones.

Another important question- care painting tool. There are two options here: either throw away the krazu brush after painting (and many people do this), or save it for later use. With the second option, you can act different ways depending on the situation (further methods only work for brushes with natural bristles).

The first option is that you have painted everything you need, but you liked the brush so much that you want to keep it for the future, although you may have to wait quite a long time for the next painting (“works” after using oil or alkyd enamels and varnishes). In this case, the remaining paint or varnish you need to squeeze it out of the brush into a jar, simply rubbing it firmly against the very edge of that jar, and rinse it in a container with white spirit until all dye will not come off the brush. After this, you need to rinse the brush again, but in pure white spirit. After that, under hot water Rinse the brush thoroughly with Fairy dishwashing liquid and wipe with a cloth. The brush is ready for long-term storage.

The second option is to save the brush for 2-3 days for later use. To do this, you need to take a rag (a small one, you will need to wrap the brush in it) and the brush itself and moisten them generously in the solvent. Then wrap the brush bristles with a rag and put it all in a clean plastic bag without holes (squeeze out excess air from the bags). After this, all that remains is to wrap the bag around the handle of the brush with tape and don’t forget about your brush. In this way, the brush can be stored for up to 5 days, and if you put the bag (which we have without holes) in cold water- then up to 2 weeks.

The third option is that you use the brush every day. Then you just need to soak it in a container with solvent. In this case, we must remember that the whale must be completely wetted, and then lowered into the solvent by at least 2/3.

Using these simple tips, you can choose the right tool for yourself and be able to keep it for as long as you need.

There are not many people in our country who can boast that they have never renovated a house or apartment on their own. And, although now it is possible to hire a team of specialists for this, most still prefer to do the repairs themselves.

At the final stage of repair, the time comes for finishing works, among which painting work is an important and responsible stage.
But today we are not talking about them, but about the tool with which they are produced - brushes.

Some people leave the brush in a jar of water or solvent, but this leads to the fact that, under the influence of its own gravity, the brush sinks deeper, while the bristles bend and the brush loses its original shape. This, of course, leads to a loss of its functionality, because it will no longer be possible to straighten the stubble later.

Therefore, there are no options - the brush must be thoroughly cleaned. For this you will need:

• solvent;
• rag or paper towel;
• soap (preferably laundry soap);
• a container into which you can immerse the brush deeply enough.

Cleaning occurs in the following order:

Pour the solvent into the container, lower the brush into it and thoroughly “soak” the pile.

1. Then take out the brush and wipe it thoroughly with a rag or towel.
2. Next, you need to thoroughly lather the bristles with soap and rinse under running water. warm water.

Repeat all these operations until the brush is completely clean.

Please note that each paint requires its own solvent. If, for example, they are adhesive or water-soluble, then oil solvents require mineral solvents. Information about them can be found on the label of the paint can.

Solvents usually have a very pungent odor, so it is better to rinse the brush outdoors or at least on the balcony.
After cleaning is completed, the brush should be left to dry with the bristles up or hung loosely on a nail with the bristles down (usually there is always a hole on the handle of the brush).

Other ways to clean brushes

There are other methods for cleaning brushes that are not used as often, but also lead to good results.

Washing the brush with fabric softener is used when the paint has not yet completely dried. To do this you need:

1. Wipe off excess paint from the brush using paper or a rag.
2. Mix warm water with a small amount conditioner – this solution loosens the bristles.
3. Rinse the brush in the solution until you see that the paint begins to slide off it.
4. Then you can rinse the brush with warm water and evaluate how well it has cleaned.
5. If necessary, repeat the steps until the result is achieved.
6. Then rinse the brush with water and set to dry.

There is a way to clean old dried paint from brushes. To use it you will need regular table vinegar:

1. Vinegar is poured into a container and the brush is placed in it for about an hour. Check to see if the paint has softened. If not, then leave the brush in vinegar for another hour.
2. Then pour the vinegar into an old saucepan, place a brush in it and bring to a boil on the stove. Boil for a few minutes.
3. Then take out the brush, cool slightly and comb with a steel brush or an old fine comb.
4. We repeat the steps until all the paint comes off the bristles and is removed with a comb.
5. Wash the brush in running water and set it to dry.

If the brush is dirty oil paint, then to clean it for washing dishes:

1. Wipe the brush with a cloth or paper.
2. Pour some into your palm.
3. Then turn on the warm water and, placing your palm with the product under the tap, twirl the brush on it.
4. Rinse the brush and, if there is still paint on it, repeat all steps until the desired result is achieved.

It is clear that you cannot wash a large brush like this; this method is good for small brushes, the paint on which has not yet completely dried.

What else can you use to wash your brushes?

To clean brushes from oil paint, you can use not only solvents, but turpentine, white spirit, kerosene, acetone. When using all of these substances, gloves must be used to protect the skin of your hands.

To clean acrylic special remedy– paint remover. Removers are either universal or intended for use with a specific paint. You can purchase them at hardware store. When using a wash, it is necessary to protect not only your hands, but also your respiratory organs, and preferably your eyes.

There is another one in the arsenal of cleaning products for brushes - “Universal Cleaner”. It can be purchased in departments that sell radio components.

It is intended for degreasing surfaces, but also with acrylic paints, since it contains alcohol and gasoline.

After the brushes are washed, it is necessary to soften the bristles. Various cosmetic lotions or hair conditioners are used for this. They are simply applied to your fingers and gently rubbed into the hairs of your brush. After this, the brushes are almost like new and ready for use again.

Proper care of your brushes during use increases their durability. In order for your paint brushes to serve you well for a long time, you need to follow a few simple rules.

Preparing brushes for work

To prepare for use, new brushes should be immersed in water for about one hour. Just lower it, that is, hang it, but not put it down, since the bristles of a brush placed on the bottom of the jar will bend under the weight of its weight, lose its shape and become unsuitable for work.

Being in water will soften the working part of the brush, increase in volume and swell, so it will become soft, hair will not fall out during painting, and the paint will lie smoothly and evenly. Before applying oil- and alkyd-based paints and varnishes, brushes soaked in water should be thoroughly dried.

Even properly prepared brushes can leave streaks formed by individually protruding hairs. To get rid of this problem, you need to soak a brush in paint or water and work it on concrete, rough plaster or brick - the protruding hair will come off.

Preparing the brushes for work in this way will be the key to a high-quality painting job.

Caring for brushes during the painting process Another side of proper brush care is brushes during the painting process. To do this, during work, in order to wear the bristles evenly, the brush should be periodically regularly rotated in your hands along its entire circumference. Otherwise, the brush will wear unevenly, and a “shovel” will form on one or both sides.

It should be taken into account that abrasion of brushes when painting different surfaces there are different things. So, when painting wooden surfaces oil- and alkyd-based paint, the brush wears out less than when painting brick, plaster and metal surfaces.

During a short break when working with oil paints, the brush should be kept suspended in a bucket of water, kerosene or turpentine, or placed in drying oil or the paint used for painting. At the same time, it should not touch the bottom so as not to be deformed.

How and how to wash a brush after working with varnishes, oil or alkyd paints

After finishing painting, brushes should be washed thoroughly. To do this, you first need to squeeze the brush on the edge of a jar or bucket, then rinse thoroughly in white spirit, kerosene or turpentine (in no case should solvents like 646 be used for these purposes) until any remaining paint comes off, then Rinse again in clean white spirit. After this, rinse the brush with liquid detergent for washing dishes of the “Ferry” type (but not liquid soap), rinse thoroughly with warm water, shake off the water well and put away until next time.

Washing brushes after working with water-based emulsion

Water-based paints are easily washed off the brush with warm or hot water. After washing, the brush should be wrung out, given the shape of a drop and hung with the hair down. If the bristles come apart, you need to lightly tie them with gauze.

By the way, when painting with water-based paints, the wear of brushes is almost two times less than when using oil paints. That is, if one brush when painting water-based paint is enough to paint 1000 m2, then the same brush when working with oil paint will be enough for about 500 m2.

Keep in mind that synthetic brushes, unlike natural ones, cannot be washed with nitro solvents, as they corrode the brushes.

Attention! Try to remove any remaining paint immediately. Carefully clean off any paint buildup around the crimp. This is especially true when using acrylic paints, since acrylic dries quickly and, if it dries near the cuff, the brush will move from the “workable” category to the “incapacitated” category. Brushes with hair in wooden frames should not be immersed in water up to the frame; this will cause the wood to swell, the glue in the frame will become soggy, and the bristles will come out of the brush.

A good paint brush is a reliable and high-quality tool that can and should work well for a long time if it is properly cared for.

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With every coloring, we must remember thorough cleaning brushes only proper care, will allow you to use them again. We will show you how to clean brushes after painting with solvent, as well as how to clean a brush with dried paint.

Regardless of what kind of paint we use for painting, after finishing the work we must take care to clean the tools well. If you're not sure what paint we've used, check the label on the paint package for all the details.

Emulsion paints

Immediately after painting types of wallpaper with paints, you must thoroughly wash the brush in warm water with soap. Wash the brush by carefully separating each bristle so that each is thoroughly cleaned of paint and no dirt remains on it. Once we have removed any remaining paint from all the bristles, we need to thoroughly rinse the brush again. clean water without adding soap, and then shake off the excess. Finally, you should carefully align the bristles and secure them with an elastic band so that after drying the brush retains its original shape.

Solvent paints

If you've started painting and we know it will take us at least two days to paint, we don't need to thoroughly clean our brushes every time we use it. It is enough to immerse the brush in a bucket of water overnight. In the morning, just wipe the brush with dry paper towel and you can start re-painting.

After painting is completely finished, rub the remaining paint from the brush. This can be done, for example, with newspaper or paper towel. Then the brush must be rinsed in a container with solvent. Some paints may require the use of a special solvent; information about the type can be found on the paint packaging. To clean a brush from paint with a solvent, you can also use gasoline with varnish or chemicals for cleaning brushes. When we get rid of the remaining paint with bristles using a solvent, you should rinse the brush in warm water and soap, shake off the excess water and wipe the brush dry.

Cleaning dry paint brushes

If for some reason you forgot to clean the brush from paint, and it already has time to glue it with bristles, nothing is lost. If the paint has dried on the brushes, you need to wet the brush in a bucket of water or brush cleaning liquid. The brush will be easier to clean. Remaining paint should be removed under warm running water with soap. If for some reason wetting the brush is not enough and the paint does not want to go down, you should use special drug for removing paint coatings. Preparations of this type can be purchased at almost any art store.

1. When painting, you often need to remove excess paint from the brush. A short length of wire, bent at both ends and tightly placed on the edges of the paint bucket, serves as both a brush stand and a brush cleaner.

2. To preserve the brush longer, you do not need to place the brush next to the jar, it should be constantly immersed in the paint. To do this, take a metal rod and make a number of holes in the handle of the brush. Move the rod to a different hole when the paint in the can decreases.

3. It’s no secret that a paint brush will last longer if you always wash it well after finishing work in solvent and warm soapy water or with washing powder. And if you then comb it well with a fine-toothed comb, the brush will look like the one you just bought.

4. To prevent a brush covered with oil paint from drying out, it must be placed in glass jar with solvent, then put a plastic bag on top of the jar and tighten it with an elastic band.

5. For temporary storage of paint brushes, it is good to use a part of an unnecessary inner tube from a bicycle, tied with a rubber ring.

6. To wash paint brush from paint, you can take a small plastic bag. Place a brush there and fill it with solvent. Then attach the bag to the handle of the brush using an elastic band. Then the solvent will not evaporate longer.

7. It is much more difficult to clean the brush from varnish. To remove nail polish, you need organic solvents, and they are not often available. After working with varnish, immerse it in water for one day. The varnish will, of course, harden, but it will become loose and you can easily clean it off your brush.

8. Do not rush to throw away a brush with paint that has dried on it; you can boil it in water washing powder for several hours. Then, using an awl, separate the bristles and comb with a wire brush, and after all this, just rinse.

9. If you need a flute for painting, you can make it yourself if you have several small flat brushes. You need to connect two flat brushes, firmly clamping them between two plywood pads and knock them down with small nails.

10. If you connect a brush with a spatula, then universal tool will immediately help you feel the difference as soon as you start painting a surface that has slight roughness after putty.

11. If you have to paint the ceiling, and you don’t have a brush with a long handle, then you can attach a simple brush to a long stick. It will be much stronger if you saw off the end of the stick at an angle of 30 degrees and pull part of the rubber hose over it. Then make two holes in the hose and return the brush handle to them. This type of fastening will be much more reliable than tying it with a tourniquet.

12. When painting the ceiling in a bathroom or kitchen, it is good to use a special roller for painting work; its handle is extended with an aluminum tube or a wooden stick. You can attach a small tin tray at the bottom of the roller to prevent drops of paint from falling on you.

13. If lint comes out of the brush, then you will suffer a lot while painting. Make a clamp the size of the brush, put it on the clip that fixes the lint on the brush, and tighten it firmly with a bolt. After this procedure, the bristles will not fall out of the brush. You can also drill a hole in the crimp ring of the brush and put a few drops of glue in there, this will also help with the bristles falling out of the brush.

14. If you have ever whitewashed a ceiling, then you know that part of the solution flows down the brush into the sleeve. To avoid this kind of trouble, attach a tin cap to the handle of the brush; you can also make it from cardboard or other waterproof material. The cap will collect the solution that was intended for your sleeve. Where the cap is connected to the handle, you need to coat it with plasticine or putty. To keep your sleeves clean while painting, you can put on sleeves made from plastic bags, after cutting holes in their bottom.

15. After work, it is good to store the roller in a narrow cylindrical glass to avoid the paint drying on it. The glass can be made from part of a pipe or tin. The roller is placed in a case and filled with drying oil or paint.

16. You can also make a comfortable brush from a piece of foam rubber. To do this, the foam rubber is clamped in a tin holder. This brush is convenient for blending paint, and the lint does not fall out of it. There is no need to wash it, just replace the old dried foam rubber with another one.