How to Clean Acrylic Paint from a Brush

Acrylic paint remover cleans your brush without damaging its hair.

Acrylic painting projects are a way to express your creativity on canvas or add a personal touch to your home's walls, but the paint itself will damage your brushes if you leave it on after the project is finished. Dishwashing or hand soap can slough off some of the paint. To remove all traces of the paint from your tools, you need an acrylic remover or stripper that contains ammonia. Several cleaning treatments may be necessary, depending on the paint's color and the length of time the paint was left on the brush.

Things You'll Need

• Acrylic paint remover or stripper
• Small bowl
• Rubber gloves
• Paper towel

Instructions

1. Cover your hands with rubber gloves to protect them from exposure to the acrylic remover.

2. Brush off loose dried paint from the brush.

3. Pour 1 cup of the acrylic remover into a small bowl and soak the brush's hair into the bowl.

4. Move the brush's hair around in the mixture and squeeze the hair to remove the paint. Do not pull the hair, as it can easily tear off of the brush.

5. Soak the brush in the mixture for up to one hour. Squeeze out excess solution as you remove it.

6. Blot the brush dry with a paper towel. Set it in a cool, dry area to dry out.

References

• Good Housekeeping: Stain Buster - Paint, Latex (Acrylic/Water-Based)
• "Good Housekeeping the Complete Household Handbook"; Editors of Good Housekeeping; 2007
• Paint Splashes: Paint Brush Cleaning Tips