How to Choose, Use and Care for Paintbrushes

Let’s face it, painting is work. Sure, you want the job to end up looking good, but you also want it to be as painless and as inexpensive as possible. One way to make sure your finished job is up to your standards, is to buy good tools and then take proper care of them. Here’s some hints on how to choose, use and care for your paintbrushes.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Soapy water
• Mineral spirits
• Tin foil

How to Choose Paintbrushes

1. Buy the best quality brushes you can afford. Good quality brushes will do a better job than cheaper brushes and with proper care, can be reused time and again.

2. Look for a paintbrush with a hardwood handle and long tapered bristles that are anchored at the top with plastic or metal spacers inside a metal ferrule. The bristles should have flagged ends (tiny splits at the ends) that allow them to hold more paint and minimize any brush marks left behind. The bristles should also vary in length (shorter on the outside of the brush and getting progressively longer towards the middle). This will help spread paint evenly.

3. Choose natural or synthetic bristles, depending on the type of paint you’re using. Use natural bristles only when working with oil-based or alkyd paints. If you use natural bristles with latex paints, they will absorb water from the paint and get soft and difficult to work with. Synthetic bristles don’t absorb water, so are good for latex paint; plus they're usually less expensive than natural bristles.

4. Most home painting projects can be handled by a combination of three paintbrushes: a 1 ½-inch sash brush (it's cut at an angle), a 2-inch trim brush and a 4-inch wall brush.

How to Use Paintbrushes

5. Dampen your brush before using it (water if you’re using latex paint or mineral spirits for alkyd paint). Shake out the excess so your brush is damp not wet.

6. Hold the brush with your fingertips (not in the palm of your hand) down near the base of the handle. Grip the brush lightly; it’s not going anywhere, and if you hold it too tightly your hand and arms will tire out quickly.

7. Dip 1/3 to ½ of the length of the bristles into the paint, then tap (don't scrape) the brush against the side of the paint can to get rid of any excess paint.

8. Hold the brush at about a 45-degree angle to the surface and apply the paint in long, smooth strokes, using enough pressure to bend the bristles slightly. At the end of each stroke, lift the brush off the surface.
   Work from painted areas towards unpainted areas, and when you’re painting wood, try to paint with the grain (not across it).

9. Finish an area by lightly running the brush across the entire length. This will help eliminate any brush marks as the paint dries.

How to Care for Paintbrushes

10. Clean your brushes immediately after you’ve finished painting—don’t leave them until tomorrow. Use the proper liquid for cleaning brushes (soapy water for latex paint and synthetic bristles, mineral spirits for alkyd paints and natural bristles).

11. Brush the clean, wet bristles with a metal brush comb (available at home and paint stores) to straighten them and prevent paint from collecting in the bristles near the handle.

12. Allow the brush to dry overnight, then wrap the brush in the sleeve it came in or a piece of tinfoil (make sure the bristles are flat and smooth).

13. Store your brushes lying flat or hanging down. Make sure the bristles are straight and the weight of the brush isn't resting on them.

Tips & Warnings

• When you’re buying a brush, always test it out by holding it as you would when painting to be sure it feels comfortable in your hand.
• Apply paint with the broad side of the brush; not the edge.
• You can temporarily store a paintbrush (between coats and even overnight) by wrapping it tightly in plastic, then putting it in your fridge or freezer.