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Some brushes even if completely hard with paint can be moved about in the hand and fingers and they start to move and the paint fulls off. If you put paintbrush in water and the paint goes into the water off of the brush then paint can come off. I wash My pain brushes off or store them in the paint can.
I have a 1914 house with the original dark woodwork. When I painted, I got some paint on the woodwork. I found that full strength Murphy’s oil soap removes the paint on the wood work. I put it on with a little brush and let it sit overnight. In the morning the paint comes right off the woodwork.
I have a wooden record player from my late grandfather. That has dozens of specks of white paint on it from when my sister painted her room haphazardly. I put it into storage cause the paint was all over and just grinded my gears everytime I looked at it. I must remember to try this with the oil soap. Edit:Just checked and there's a full unopened bottle under the sink covered in dust. Now I just need to remember where I stored the record player.
Absolutely. I cleaned up all of the mess from "professional" painters on my beautiful wood window frames after they left before the job was done. I love Murphy's Oil Soap. If I ever hire another "professional" painter I'm watching them like a hawk the entire time.
I had a brush that had dried with oil based primer on it. I left it to sit in mineral spirits for a week, thinking surely that will take care of it. No such luck, it did nothing, and I threw the brush away. Then, a day later, I saw this video pop up in my feed. I thought, heck, why not give it a try. After a day, I was getting some tiny bit of flexibility in the brush. After another day, a tiny bit more, I could bend it a little. I left it for a week, and it was flexible again. I left it another week, because I forgot about it, and it was completely flexible. I spent about 10 minutes cleaning the bristles with a brush comb, rinsed it with water, and it was fully restored. What a GREAT tip! Good brushes are too expensive to lose when a 4-5$ bottle of cleaner will work so easily. I am so impressed! Thanks!
I’ve been a contractor for over 25 yrs and never heard of this. I threw 3 brushes out today, I’ll be getting them out of the dumpster tomorrow lol. Thank you for sharing this❤
I actually have a brush that I need to do this, thanks. We always have Murphys oil soap on hand, use it for cleaning furniture, doors, woodwork, baseboards.
Linseed oil paint thinner may be better. However, see my post with questions to the original poster. The additional expense and time may not be worth trying to clean brushes, if my questions aren't answered adequately.
a tip, wait till u have a bucket load of brushes to clean atleast, saves alot of time and effort, and have sevral buckets for different once, different pains and different glues etc...
Lady, you are da bomb. I can't believe how many brushes i've thrown out over the years. Thank you for sharing your knowledge to us "lesser" beings. I just can't believe Murphy's wood cleaner could restore a brush like this. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I'm from the UK and have never heard of Murphys oil but i will research it, my tip when cleaning good quality bristle paint brushes is when you have got them as clean as possible before you put them away treat them like your hair and give them a shampoo followed by conditioner , I have still got the six inch brush in perfect condition that I have been painting my ceilings with since 1980.
As a contractor I take care of my tools and that includes my brushes. One day my neighbor wanted to do some painting with oil based paint, but didn't have a brush for that. So, I loaned him one of mine and gave him a gallon of lacquer thinner to clean it with. He got tired during his painting and decided to finish the next day. But, instead of cleaning the brush, he put it in a coffee can full of water. The next day he tried to use the brush again and you can imagine his surprise. When I stopped back by he let me know that he owed me a brush and for me to go ahead and get one and he'd reimburse me. You should've seen the look on his face when I showed him the receipt for $25 dollars for one brush. He was used to buying cheap $2 dollar brushes, but I used nothing but high quality Purdy brushes. I didn't really make him pay for it, but I wanted him to know that good quality tools don't come cheap and a contractor needs quality tools! He never asked to borrow another brush or anything else after that!
All I have to say is Wow! I am 74 and have never heard of this before. I use Murphy’s oil in cleaning all the time at home. Thank you so much for sharing.
I am excited to learn this! I apprenticed as a sign painter, one of my jobs was to clean and oil brushes after use. Then 25 years a paint contractor. I was meticulous about brush cleaning, but not all crew members were. Most recently, in my retirement, I had a painter roommate who dumped her brushes in a bucket at the end of a job without cleaning, so I have some hard brushes in which to try this technique. Thank you Jane, I learn so much from you, even in my own trade.
Very interesting, I've been an artist all my life and haven't heard of this. I'm pretty good at clowning my brushes when I'm done painting though, haven't had a stuck one in many years.
@@southend26 Hi Randy- if you're referring to the contents of the cup (cleaning product and paint debris) I've only used the Murphy Oil brush cleaning method for small artist brushes and diluted the product. The brushes were soaked in a clean and empty Noxzema container. I've also used the pre-diluted spray version of Murphy Oil, which was very handy for little brushes! I soaked the brushes until the paint debris came off easily with a comb (10-30 minutes) because they're much smaller than the brush demonstrated by Leah, and didn't require an overnight soaking. The contents of the cup were poured either in the drain or toilet. However, if you have any concerns about hazardous waste when using a larger amount of undiluted Murphy Oil to clean paint off larger brushes and/or oil based paints, you could use a large empty container that has a lid (such as a clean and empty yogurt container), place the lid on it after soaking the brushes, and drop off the container with its contents to your local recycle center/hazardous waste depot. Hope this helps! Fawn 🙂
@@3DJapan Hi Phil! Yeah, I'm normally pretty good with promptly cleaning my brushes. Truthfully, I use small dollar store artist brushes to paint and or apply polyurethane to wood and furniture in areas that require more precision and detail, as opposed to using them for actual canvas art lol! Learned about this cleaning technique by artists on UA-cam a few years ago. Depending on the product I used- if it's acrylic or latex paint, I've had great luck with simply soaking the brushes in a clean and empty Noxzema container with a bit of hot water and dish soap, then rinse, then dry the brushes with a tshirt rag and lay them flat to dry overnight. For times when something happened where a brush got missed or I when using an oil based product, the Murphy Oil rescued my brushes! I did dilute the product though, and I've also tried the spray version of Murphy Oil which was super handy for little brushes! Happy painting! Fawn 🙂
Was working on my daughter’s house. Finished painting and wrapped up the brushes in plastic. Was going to wash out later. Totally forgot about the brushes. When I needed my brushes about a year later……..stumbled across your video. It took months for some of them to soften the crust of paint on them but now my $25-$30 brushes are good to go. Thank you for your efforts.
Conditioning your brush just before using it makes it a lot easier to clean up. If you’re working with latex, soak up your brush with water and hand-spin it to remove excess water. Do the same thing with paint thinner if you’re working with a solvent-based paint.
Absolutely true. To motorcycledad, shake out the brush adequately after you wet it, you'll be fine. This trick allows me to get a lot of mileage out of a brush.
@@motorcyclelad I flick the head of my brush rapidly across my forearm so just the tip of the brush is hitting my arm , leaves the brush slightly damp and i never get watery paint running down the brush , been a painter by trade for 30 years and always done this rather than spinning.
Great tip! As an artist I tend to just clean my brushes after every use, if I’m in a hurry or too lazy, I rinse the brush out real quick and put it inside a zip lock bag or a grocery bag, but never leave your brushes to dry with paint! but using wood cleaner is genius, this is a great tip and will start using that after every paint session.
I use rubbing alcohol. 90% if I can get it but 70% works. Throw the whole brush in a pan of it and forget about it for a day. Afterwards let the solids settle and decant back into the bottle, and label for later use. I discovered this when I noticed drops of rubbing alcohol left on latex painted surfaces softened the paint.
I'm sure over the last 10 yrs I've thrown out $200 dollars in brushes from being too tired to clean them after a long job, then forgetting about them until they are rock hard. Have tried many methods, but none have worked great. Will absolutely try this!!
I find it therapeutic to wash brushes after a painting session, it helps wind down, besides it winds me up knowing that the brushes will have to still be cleaned sometime in the future.
@@clivewilliams3661 Me too. I really don't feel like I've finished my job until that brush is clean, but there have been times I was so tired that I just soak my brush in warm water & Dawn dish detergent over night, then clean it the next morning with a paint comb. Does a great job.
@@ladikmk After more that 55 years I still have the vision of my woodworking teacher peering over my shoulder to see how I was cleaning the brush and then inspecting it down to the base of the bristles so that any thoughts of skimping on the job is quickly dispelled!
I've NEVER had this problem cause I ALWAYS clean my brushes at the end of use throughout the day. Usually 3 to 4 times in a work day when I was a painter. Though I've restored a few brushes giving to me, I NEVER knew about using this Oil Soap process. Thank you so much Leah 👍
@@chipcook6646 I've never heard of using WD-40 either. I have the spray and also liquid for in a 1 Gallon can. Should I just soak it or use the spray instead.
Wow been a painter for 35 years.never knew this. Used different things that would leave the bristles very brittle. I'm going to try this. These new acrylic enamel paints are hard on brushes!!!
Yes! I've used similar methods (but not with Murphy's Oil Soap... great tip!) --- In the end, my paint brush was frazzled and frayed on the end... so I used an ordinary electric hair trimmer to trim away the curled and fly-away bristles. A narrow beard trimmer or dog trimmer would work just as well. --- It's purely aesthetic and probably doesn't make much difference in how well it holds paint (or how smoothly it applies paint) but I like how it looks. My husband and I enjoy your channel, Leah! We wish you continued success in everything you do!
Leah, you should be considered a national treasure. Personally, I use a wire brush either immediately after the job is done, or sometimes in the middle of bigger jobs, just to refresh them. However, it's not always easy to get the paint completely out regardless. I'll definitely be using this trick for my stiffer brushes to see if I can remove paint from the heels. Thank you!
I'm really good at keeping my brushes clean and in good shape. I've had brushes that last for years but this is a great tip that I've never heard of! Now if I come across a good prush that someone else has abused, I can take it off their hands and make it usable again.
I had a 2 inch brush that was a solid block from teak oil and wasn't cleaned properly. Figured it was ruined so thought I would try this. Yes, Leah, as you said, I was "absolutely suprised"!!!! Let it set for a couple of days, followed your instructions, (also did final clean with dish detergent and rinsed) and it worked like magic. Brushes are nice and soft. Thank you!!!
Hey, this is amazing. I am a cheap gal & usually buy the cheap paint brushes but I had this beautiful angle paint brush once and I managed to mess it up like that. I was very sadden about it. Your tip will save my future messed up paint brushes and I don't have to throw them away.
You will get much better paint results with a high quality brush.. easier to cut corners and trim... I quit using throwaway and so much happier with the results now.
I use a flea comb, too. The tines are closer together & the tips are blunt/rounded - I don't stab myself. It fits my hand better being smaller so it's more comfortable working on the brush.
THAT...was wonderful! As a (commercial) painter...AND, a decorative painter/fine artist, I honestly never thought about the 'famous' Murphy's Oil to clean hardened brushes. Thank you ever so much. Great presentation!
Absolutely excellent video, as usual. Even a beat up old brush still has some life for mixing paint or even spreading glue. I like this technique a lot more than just “doing my best” to keep them from getting too gunked up
Thanks so much for sharing Leah! Much rather use Murphys than harsh chemicals. I love the cardboard tip too. For some reason I never thought of that. Usually use newspapers or paper towels wrapped around if I lose sleeves
Thanks for the great tip. Don't know how many brushes I've thrown away over the years. Always start out taking good care of them but get careless in time. Always good stuff you have. Thank you so much!
Wow thanks. You and your tips are a godsend. My father, bless his soul, was a stickler for cleaning his tools and his brushes after each use. He taught me that a little extra time spent after their use would save me hours of work and frustration later. I can't smell turpentine without thinking of him and how we'd clean the oil based paints out of his brushes 😂 Still, I'll keep this tip in mind. Murphy's Oil Soap, like baking soda and Dawn have so many uses.
Great tip. I've painted for decades and never heard of this. Murphy's oil soap is dirt cheap and I have 3 partial bottles of it already. Thanks Leah! Much appreciated.
What a good idea! Thank you. I just had my house repainted at huge cost and the 'professional' painters threw out every single brush and kept buying new ones - at my expense of course! They also threw out all of the different trays and buckets and just kept buying new ones. That just hurts my thrifty soul! I also truly believe in recycling.
3 місяці тому
i don't call them professional if they toss out good brushes.
Where have you been??? Do you know how many brushes I have thrown away that were hardened up??? Oh my god. I think a key here is the COMB. I want to thank you for this content. A good paintbrush that fits you well and gets worked in well becomes an extension of your hand and you can predict the cutting edge. When they get hardened up they begin to lose predictability. I’m grateful to learn this technique. I’ve been watching your channel for a decade. Thanks.
Hi Leah, thank you sooo much for this tip, I’ve been using it ever since I saw your video a couple months ago. Love love love how it works. Wish I saw it sooner. I always have a large jug of murphy oil soap. All my not cheap and my cheap brushes have been restored 😊. BEST TIP EVER! Wanted to say Thank you once again!!!
Thanks leah. As a lazy house painter I say my time is worth more than the brushes. BUT, I have a couple of hundred dollars worth of brushes sitting in t big pails. I keep meaning to get to them... I think you inspired me to just do it., Thanks.
I had a brush that I left too long in a plastic bag, and I thought it was garbage. I left the brush in a bag of Murphy’s Oil Soap for about a week. It was soft enough to start bending and separating the bristles a bit. After another week in the soap, I was able to clean the brush very thoroughly. Thanks Leah for this very helpful tip!0:070:07
See also Murphy's Tire and Tube Mounting Compound, although I use Murphy's Oil Soap to help change motorcycle tires. I believe the vegetable oil soap is safer and more recommended than other lubricants when dealing with rubber. Water may cause a wheel rim to rust.
Never heard of this method, thanks Leah! I am diligent about cleaning my own brushes right away after use but I was once given a really nice brush that was hardened. I regrettably was not able to save it, if only I'd known then that oil soap does the job.
I'm so happy to see you still at this youtube thing, and having gotten so many subscribers! I've watched various videos of yours over the years, starting from quite a ways back, for fixing odds and ends.
That is one HECK of a trick!!! I like Murphys too!! Great for cleaning wood without harm, but I use it in laundry too. Its got a nice clean smell to it!!
My 26 year old brush is still usable today. It’s a ‘Purdy’ brand. Just properly maintain them every use. Pay attention to the bristle type and stiffness. Thanks for yet another great video. Cheers
I do a lot of chalk painting and have let a couple of brushes, if not more 🤫🤭 get stiff because I didn't wash them. I read that soaking them in fabric softener works so I tried it and it did. Always good to know how to save a paint brush from any type of dried paint. Thanks for the video!
Thanks Leah!!! I would have never thought that brush you started with could be salvaged. Yes, good brushes are quite expensive so it's great to know how to keep them in good shape!
Thank you so much! I started sharing my brushes with my daughters once they got good enough…let’s just say I lost a lot of brushes! We tried all kinds of products, but none worked well. I will definitely try restoring my brushes using your method!
Fabulous!!!! I"ve been cleaning oil paint brushes with Dawn blue liquid dish soap and water. Works great. But mostly I use non-oil paint and the base of the brushes collects and collects till there's almost no useful bristles. NOW I can clean these too. )))))) THANK YOU.
Brilliant. We still own forty five year old three inch household paintbrushes my late Nana, Phlo used to paint with during tge 1960' and seventies, AND, a few of them are set with dry paint, hard set. I never knew anythso unchemically base existed. Thank you.
Ms. Leah I want to thank you for all the informative videos. In my 30s I was finally able to buy a home, granted it needed and still needs some work, but your videos are teaching me so much. I'm learning new skills all the time. You are an amazing teacher!
Hi Leah 😊I have been doing this for my paint brushes since you did a video on it and it works so well and makes my brushes like new! Thank you. Your advice is fantastic 👏 we're so grateful for your information and expertise!😊 thank you !
Hi Leah! I love using a paint comb to clean my paint brushes. I try to always clean my brushes at the end of a paint job, but if I don't, I just get an old heavy-duty plastic cup filled with warm water & a squirt or two of Dawn dish detergent. Mix it and plop that brush in so all the bristles are submerged. Let it soak overnight and then use my paint comb to clean it the next morning. Rinse well, let my brush dry, and several times while it's drying I run my clean paint comb thru the bristles. Dawn dish detergent works very well too and is much cheaper to use than a whole bunch of Murphy's oil soap.
I only wish this remedy worked when I forget to immediately clean my brushes after using catalytic epoxy!!! After rereading this I decided to do a variation for resined brushes. I laid out some aluminum foil, dropped some strong Stripeze on it and immersed several small brushes in it and folded the foil around the stripper soaked brush heads and will check in the morning. Either the resin has dissolved or the brush heads did also.
Thanks! Your painter's trick worked great! One addition I would like to suggest is to soak it in Murphy's longer than just one night, if possible. I couldn't get to mine that soon so it ended up soaking for a few days and the paint came off very easily in the warm water with only mild combing. Thanks again.
Omg! Why didn’t I see this earlier? Cleaned out shed today and tossed multiple paint brushes! Might have to dig through trash! Seriously ! But I did save a dozen or so putty knives! They were a bit rusty but have you seen the price of those puppies ? Ridiculously!
Sweet. I just found an old brush while cleaning and was going to throw it away. Great to know that I can clean it and use it again. Thanks for the tip!
Does it matter if the paint was oil-based vs water-based? Good brushes have flagged tips. Will this procedure successfully clean and separate the fine fibers of the flagged tips?
Sou pintor profissional aqui no Brazil a 20 anos!!! Na verdade um profissional de verdade jamais deixaria uma trincha, pincel caríssimo tipo woosterr ou purdy deixar endurecer assim!!! Um salve para todos os guerreiros da pintura de todo o mundo 🤟🇧🇷
As an old hard dry painter I love this tip! My wife and I once found ourselves standing in a supermarket line behind a woman who had several bottles of Murphy Oil soap. We asked her what she planned to do with it all. . .She said she was a nurse in an operating room and used Murphy Oil soap to get out bloodstains out of her uniform. Dried on, washed in, years old-it doesn't matter. Hail to the makers of Murphy Oil Soap-I'll be getting a bottle for my paint cabinet now! Thanks for your great video
Great idea, i hadnt thought of using Murphy's for that. I really wouldn't have thought it could soften and break dry paint up like that. My dad had some old brushes that i will try restoring like that. I will use this for my tiny paint brushes also, as i have a couple that still couldnt get clean enough. Thanks.
Only if you are going to use it the next day…..I left a really nice Purdy sash brush in too long (oil based paint), now it is hard as a board. Will by trying Leah’s trick on it. I have used paint stripper on them in the past, but I am really liking the Murphy’s oil soap idea!
You can wrapped up in zip lock baggy and put in frig to keep it from drying out. I do this when I’m done painting for the day and want to continue the next day.
What a great idea! When I was a sign painter, after doing a deep clean, we always coated the brush with oil. Today, with all the water-based paints, it would mean washing the oil out before using...but it did keep the brushes in great condition. With sign painting brushes costing a hundred dollars, you had to care for them. I don't even know what a sable brush would cost today!
Excellent video as always. I've been painting professionally for over 35 years and use commercial brush cleaners when necessary and they are nasty. The Murphy's Oil Soap looks like a much better alternative.
So, this seems like a very good solution. I might try it in the future! So far, if I find a super clogged brush on a worksite someone has abandoned, I take it home and soak it for about five minutes in lacquer thinner, doing all the steps you did, but instead of over night, the entire process takes about ten minutes. Only thing is, you do have to wear thick chemical gloves, but I don't mind that so much, the brush turns out super clean.
Looks to me like this method creates a "comb", 2 brushes, a bucket and miscellaneous other things that must be cleaned for re-use, AFTER the initial brush is cleaned. Also, what type of paint was in the hardened first brush? Oil-based or latex? Does Murphy's Oil Soap work equally well for either type of paint? Granted, brushes are expensive. But so are the other brushes and the comb that you used, and you didn't say what you did to those items to clean them, or if you threw them away. I'm not seeing the financial benefit of this cleaning method. Please explain more.
No answer in three days so, just as I suspected, this poster only wants attention and clicks, doesn't have anything worth doing that actually saves money.
Painters working in the scenery shop at the local professional musical theatre taught me about Murphy’s oil soap. I did not know it would clean out old paint. They used it after rinsing in water and using the steel brush. Windex can also be used to get dried paint up, off floors or hands. After cleaning the brushes, the paint shop folks would wash their brushes with Murphy’s and rinse well. The Murphy’s conditioned them like hair conditioners.
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Some brushes even if completely hard with paint can be moved about in the hand and fingers and they start to move and the paint fulls off. If you put paintbrush in water and the paint goes into the water off of the brush then paint can come off. I wash My pain brushes off or store them in the paint can.
Had a girlfriend who had an antique clothing store. When she ran across items which were yellowed, she'd clean them w/ Murphy's Oil Soap.
This woman is a great teacher and public speaker.
Do her a favor. Free to you. Go down the comments and like and comment. Genuine engagement is better than nonsense, but even an emoji builds helps.
I❤leah
She’s a lovely lady and a good teacher.
She communicate so well, she is excellent. ❤
I have a 1914 house with the original dark woodwork. When I painted, I got some paint on the woodwork. I found that full strength Murphy’s oil soap removes the paint on the wood work. I put it on with a little brush and let it sit overnight. In the morning the paint comes right off the woodwork.
Great tip! Thanks so much.
Thank you so much for sharing that-I have some spots on the woodwork where I've been painting. You saved me a lot of work.
I have a wooden record player from my late grandfather. That has dozens of specks of white paint on it from when my sister painted her room haphazardly. I put it into storage cause the paint was all over and just grinded my gears everytime I looked at it.
I must remember to try this with the oil soap.
Edit:Just checked and there's a full unopened bottle under the sink covered in dust. Now I just need to remember where I stored the record player.
@@misterbadass2089 If the paint is fully cured, it may not work as well. But it’s worth a try!
Absolutely. I cleaned up all of the mess from "professional" painters on my beautiful wood window frames after they left before the job was done. I love Murphy's Oil Soap. If I ever hire another "professional" painter I'm watching them like a hawk the entire time.
I had a brush that had dried with oil based primer on it. I left it to sit in mineral spirits for a week, thinking surely that will take care of it. No such luck, it did nothing, and I threw the brush away. Then, a day later, I saw this video pop up in my feed. I thought, heck, why not give it a try. After a day, I was getting some tiny bit of flexibility in the brush. After another day, a tiny bit more, I could bend it a little. I left it for a week, and it was flexible again. I left it another week, because I forgot about it, and it was completely flexible. I spent about 10 minutes cleaning the bristles with a brush comb, rinsed it with water, and it was fully restored. What a GREAT tip! Good brushes are too expensive to lose when a 4-5$ bottle of cleaner will work so easily. I am so impressed! Thanks!
Thanks!
No way
I’ve been a contractor for over 25 yrs and never heard of this. I threw 3 brushes out today, I’ll be getting them out of the dumpster tomorrow lol. Thank you for sharing this❤
I actually have a brush that I need to do this, thanks. We always have Murphys oil soap on hand, use it for cleaning furniture, doors, woodwork, baseboards.
Linseed oil paint thinner may be better. However, see my post with questions to the original poster. The additional expense and time may not be worth trying to clean brushes, if my questions aren't answered adequately.
a tip, wait till u have a bucket load of brushes to clean atleast, saves alot of time and effort, and have sevral buckets for different once, different pains and different glues etc...
@@rayrussell6258hmm wtf are even blather-actually, don't care. Weirdo
Clean your brushes properly after using them, problem solved.
I had no idea Murphys would clean brushes! Plus, the scent of it always makes me think of my mom!
Stiff uncleaned brushes makes ME think of my mom. She would have loved this.
Lady, you are da bomb. I can't believe how many brushes i've thrown out over the years. Thank you for sharing your knowledge to us "lesser" beings. I just can't believe Murphy's wood cleaner could restore a brush like this. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I'm from the UK and have never heard of Murphys oil but i will research it, my tip when cleaning good quality bristle paint brushes is when you have got them as clean as possible before you put them away treat them like your hair and give them a shampoo followed by conditioner , I have still got the six inch brush in perfect condition that I have been painting my ceilings with since 1980.
Just found it on Amazon
Bet you your paint brushes never get dandruff 👍
It's a US product
Amazon have it at £15 for 32oz or just less than 1 litre, seems expensive to clean a £5 brush.
I think its similar to sugar soap, it reminds me of it. Not 100 % sure
Leah is on my list of people I'd like to just keep around forever.
Me too!
Go through comments and like and respond. Even emoji counts.
Yes, this.
100% she is a treasure of practical knowledge you rarely find elsewhere! ❤
Yes. Love this woman
As a contractor I take care of my tools and that includes my brushes. One day my neighbor wanted to do some painting with oil based paint, but didn't have a brush for that. So, I loaned him one of mine and gave him a gallon of lacquer thinner to clean it with. He got tired during his painting and decided to finish the next day. But, instead of cleaning the brush, he put it in a coffee can full of water. The next day he tried to use the brush again and you can imagine his surprise. When I stopped back by he let me know that he owed me a brush and for me to go ahead and get one and he'd reimburse me. You should've seen the look on his face when I showed him the receipt for $25 dollars for one brush. He was used to buying cheap $2 dollar brushes, but I used nothing but high quality Purdy brushes. I didn't really make him pay for it, but I wanted him to know that good quality tools don't come cheap and a contractor needs quality tools! He never asked to borrow another brush or anything else after that!
NEVER lend your tools to anyone. NEVER.
@@DeadEyeDave THAT’S RIGHT! They’ll either get ruined or they’ll forget to return them and eventually even forget that they are YOURS.
@@DeadEyeDaveagreed. in this case it sounds like the tool was given away though. a nice gesture
My weak ass neighbor always borrows sht from me
Nothing compares to a Wooster brush. Purdy is just too soft regardless of the style. Less control.
All I have to say is Wow! I am 74 and have never heard of this before. I use Murphy’s oil in cleaning all the time at home. Thank you so much for sharing.
I am excited to learn this! I apprenticed as a sign painter, one of my jobs was to clean and oil brushes after use. Then 25 years a paint contractor. I was meticulous about brush cleaning, but not all crew members were. Most recently, in my retirement, I had a painter roommate who dumped her brushes in a bucket at the end of a job without cleaning, so I have some hard brushes in which to try this technique.
Thank you Jane, I learn so much from you, even in my own trade.
This is how artists clean their painting brushes too- it works! 😊
In your experience, what's the best way to dispose of the leftovers? Drain?
Very interesting, I've been an artist all my life and haven't heard of this. I'm pretty good at clowning my brushes when I'm done painting though, haven't had a stuck one in many years.
@@southend26 Hi Randy- if you're referring to the contents of the cup (cleaning product and paint debris) I've only used the Murphy Oil brush cleaning method for small artist brushes and diluted the product. The brushes were soaked in a clean and empty Noxzema container.
I've also used the pre-diluted spray version of Murphy Oil, which was very handy for little brushes! I soaked the brushes until the paint debris came off easily with a comb (10-30 minutes) because they're much smaller than the brush demonstrated by Leah, and didn't require an overnight soaking.
The contents of the cup were poured either in the drain or toilet. However, if you have any concerns about hazardous waste when using a larger amount of undiluted Murphy Oil to clean paint off larger brushes and/or oil based paints, you could use a large empty container that has a lid (such as a clean and empty yogurt container), place the lid on it after soaking the brushes, and drop off the container with its contents to your local recycle center/hazardous waste depot.
Hope this helps!
Fawn 🙂
@@3DJapan Hi Phil! Yeah, I'm normally pretty good with promptly cleaning my brushes. Truthfully, I use small dollar store artist brushes to paint and or apply polyurethane to wood and furniture in areas that require more precision and detail, as opposed to using them for actual canvas art lol! Learned about this cleaning technique by artists on UA-cam a few years ago.
Depending on the product I used- if it's acrylic or latex paint, I've had great luck with simply soaking the brushes in a clean and empty Noxzema container with a bit of hot water and dish soap, then rinse, then dry the brushes with a tshirt rag and lay them flat to dry overnight.
For times when something happened where a brush got missed or I when using an oil based product, the Murphy Oil rescued my brushes! I did dilute the product though, and I've also tried the spray version of Murphy Oil which was super handy for little brushes!
Happy painting!
Fawn 🙂
@@thethriftyfawn thank you!
Murphy’s oil, who knew! That’s an awesome trick😃
Have to try it , last week I tried using citri strip and it worked pretty well also! Thanks for the tip I appreciate it.
@@juliocrespo1544 I've used TSP in the past and that worked as well.
I have tried cleaning brushes with vinegar, and she's right, it's not very effective.
Was working on my daughter’s house. Finished painting and wrapped up the brushes in plastic. Was going to wash out later. Totally forgot about the brushes. When I needed my brushes about a year later……..stumbled across your video. It took months for some of them to soften the crust of paint on them but now my $25-$30 brushes are good to go. Thank you for your efforts.
I wish I would have known this years ago!!!! God bless you for sharing all your tricks!
Happy to help!
Leah is AWESOME!
Conditioning your brush just before using it makes it a lot easier to clean up. If you’re working with latex, soak up your brush with water and hand-spin it to remove excess water. Do the same thing with paint thinner if you’re working with a solvent-based paint.
I’ve tried that a few times, but no matter how much I “dry” it, I get occasional watery paint from the brush I’ve pre-wet🤷🏼♂️
Absolutely true. To motorcycledad, shake out the brush adequately after you wet it, you'll be fine. This trick allows me to get a lot of mileage out of a brush.
@@motorcyclelad I flick the head of my brush rapidly across my forearm so just the tip of the brush is hitting my arm , leaves the brush slightly damp and i never get watery paint running down the brush , been a painter by trade for 30 years and always done this rather than spinning.
Great tip! As an artist I tend to just clean my brushes after every use, if I’m in a hurry or too lazy, I rinse the brush out real quick and put it inside a zip lock bag or a grocery bag, but never leave your brushes to dry with paint! but using wood cleaner is genius, this is a great tip and will start using that after every paint session.
I use rubbing alcohol. 90% if I can get it but 70% works. Throw the whole brush in a pan of it and forget about it for a day. Afterwards let the solids settle and decant back into the bottle, and label for later use. I discovered this when I noticed drops of rubbing alcohol left on latex painted surfaces softened the paint.
Yup, rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol (same thing?) works great. I rescued a few good sash brushes this way.
Denatured alcohol is what I use. I've been a painter for 38 years. Any hardware store will have it.
it can be mixed with scotch or bourbon to make a bottle go further too
@@johnlennox-pe2nq I always use Jim Beam-it's not as expensive as Makers Mark.
Alcohol indicates that the paint is water based…not oil based.
I'm sure over the last 10 yrs I've thrown out $200 dollars in brushes from being too tired to clean them after a long job, then forgetting about them until they are rock hard. Have tried many methods, but none have worked great. Will absolutely try this!!
I have three Purdy’s in the freezer right now! This is such a welcomed gift. 🎉
I find it therapeutic to wash brushes after a painting session, it helps wind down, besides it winds me up knowing that the brushes will have to still be cleaned sometime in the future.
@@clivewilliams3661 Me too. I really don't feel like I've finished my job until that brush is clean, but there have been times I was so tired that I just soak my brush in warm water & Dawn dish detergent over night, then clean it the next morning with a paint comb. Does a great job.
@@ladikmk After more that 55 years I still have the vision of my woodworking teacher peering over my shoulder to see how I was cleaning the brush and then inspecting it down to the base of the bristles so that any thoughts of skimping on the job is quickly dispelled!
His name wasn't Pavlov, was it?😂
Over my lifetime I've probably thrown out 20 brushes like this. Great info. Thanks.
I've NEVER had this problem cause I ALWAYS clean my brushes at the end of use throughout the day. Usually 3 to 4 times in a work day when I was a painter. Though I've restored a few brushes giving to me, I NEVER knew about using this Oil Soap process.
Thank you so much Leah 👍
After you are done spray on WD -40. Oil or water base brushes. Will keep them like new.( soft)
@@chipcook6646 I've never heard of using WD-40 either. I have the spray and also liquid for in a 1 Gallon can. Should I just soak it or use the spray instead.
I always clean my brushes too but I think I will add the Murphy's soap to see if it does a better job. I've been using dish soap.
@@pennybourban3712 try tide powder very powerful
Wow been a painter for 35 years.never knew this. Used different things that would leave the bristles very brittle. I'm going to try this. These new acrylic enamel paints are hard on brushes!!!
Yes! I've used similar methods (but not with Murphy's Oil Soap... great tip!) --- In the end, my paint brush was frazzled and frayed on the end... so I used an ordinary electric hair trimmer to trim away the curled and fly-away bristles. A narrow beard trimmer or dog trimmer would work just as well. --- It's purely aesthetic and probably doesn't make much difference in how well it holds paint (or how smoothly it applies paint) but I like how it looks.
My husband and I enjoy your channel, Leah! We wish you continued success in everything you do!
Leah, you should be considered a national treasure. Personally, I use a wire brush either immediately after the job is done, or sometimes in the middle of bigger jobs, just to refresh them. However, it's not always easy to get the paint completely out regardless. I'll definitely be using this trick for my stiffer brushes to see if I can remove paint from the heels. Thank you!
I learn so much watching your videos. So thank you for sharing your tips and tricks of the trade.
The pleasure is all mine
Would this work with oil paint as well?
I'm really good at keeping my brushes clean and in good shape. I've had brushes that last for years but this is a great tip that I've never heard of!
Now if I come across a good prush that someone else has abused, I can take it off their hands and make it usable again.
Priceless tip in pricey times. I'm using this one for sure. Thanks Jane 😄
I had a 2 inch brush that was a solid block from teak oil and wasn't cleaned properly. Figured it was ruined so thought I would try this. Yes, Leah, as you said, I was "absolutely suprised"!!!! Let it set for a couple of days, followed your instructions, (also did final clean with dish detergent and rinsed) and it worked like magic. Brushes are nice and soft. Thank you!!!
Hey, this is amazing. I am a cheap gal & usually buy the cheap paint brushes but I had this beautiful angle paint brush once and I managed to mess it up like that. I was very sadden about it. Your tip will save my future messed up paint brushes and I don't have to throw them away.
You will get much better paint results with a high quality brush.. easier to cut corners and trim... I quit using throwaway and so much happier with the results now.
@@jeffsim8664 I totally agree with you.
60+ years old, doing contractor work 40 years and never knew this! Thanks, Leah!
TY for the tip as always I didn’t have the paint comb but had a dog flea comb worked perfect 👍
Yep. My wife caught me doing that once and raised holy hell. But it worked and the dog didn't seem to mind 😉
I use a flea comb, too. The tines are closer together & the tips are blunt/rounded - I don't stab myself. It fits my hand better being smaller so it's more comfortable working on the brush.
Did your brushes get fleas?
@@paulkolodner2445Silly ))) no fleas after the Murphy's. )))
THAT...was wonderful! As a (commercial) painter...AND, a decorative painter/fine artist, I honestly never thought about the 'famous' Murphy's Oil to clean hardened brushes. Thank you ever so much. Great presentation!
Absolutely excellent video, as usual. Even a beat up old brush still has some life for mixing paint or even spreading glue. I like this technique a lot more than just “doing my best” to keep them from getting too gunked up
Thanks so much for sharing Leah! Much rather use Murphys than harsh chemicals. I love the cardboard tip too. For some reason I never thought of that. Usually use newspapers or paper towels wrapped around if I lose sleeves
Thank you Leah
I’m in the process of repainting my house now.
Perfect timing!
Love you Leah ❤
This is right on time, thanks Leah!
I always thought I had to through my brushes away. Thank you Leah! I use a paint comb and it is a fantastic tool!
Thanks for the great tip. Don't know how many brushes I've thrown away over the years. Always start out taking good care of them but get careless in time. Always good stuff you have. Thank you so much!
Wow thanks. You and your tips are a godsend. My father, bless his soul, was a stickler for cleaning his tools and his brushes after each use. He taught me that a little extra time spent after their use would save me hours of work and frustration later. I can't smell turpentine without thinking of him and how we'd clean the oil based paints out of his brushes 😂 Still, I'll keep this tip in mind. Murphy's Oil Soap, like baking soda and Dawn have so many uses.
Great tip. I've painted for decades and never heard of this. Murphy's oil soap is dirt cheap and I have 3 partial bottles of it already. Thanks Leah! Much appreciated.
What a good idea! Thank you. I just had my house repainted at huge cost and the 'professional' painters threw out every single brush and kept buying new ones - at my expense of course! They also threw out all of the different trays and buckets and just kept buying new ones.
That just hurts my thrifty soul! I also truly believe in recycling.
i don't call them professional if they toss out good brushes.
That is why I chose to use quotation marks around the word 'professional' to indicate that they were far from professional.
I have tossed away endless number of brushes... I never in the world would have thought of this.
Thank you Leah!!
Great tips as always, Leah.
Thank you
See Jane still killing it with really great tips!
Always great work, Leah. I hope you are doing well. The world needs more people like you.
Where have you been??? Do you know how many brushes I have thrown away that were hardened up??? Oh my god. I think a key here is the COMB. I want to thank you for this content. A good paintbrush that fits you well and gets worked in well becomes an extension of your hand and you can predict the cutting edge. When they get hardened up they begin to lose predictability. I’m grateful to learn this technique.
I’ve been watching your channel for a decade.
Thanks.
I bought a comb a couple of years ago and it is a game changer.
Hi Leah, thank you sooo much for this tip, I’ve been using it ever since I saw your video a couple months ago. Love love love how it works. Wish I saw it sooner. I always have a large jug of murphy oil soap. All my not cheap and my cheap brushes have been restored 😊. BEST TIP EVER! Wanted to say Thank you once again!!!
Hey Leah! I love your vids. Your vids showing your extensive experience is the best.
Thank you, Leah. That's another great tip. I love all the help you give.
Well I'm never too old to learn. Thank Leah
Love you Leah. So many great tips. Why weren't you were around when I was young enough to use the. Thanks again.
hey youre back!!!! great to see you got your account back jane, keep up the great work!!!
Yes, how did that work out in the long run?
Thanks leah. As a lazy house painter I say my time is worth more than the brushes. BUT, I have a couple of hundred dollars worth of brushes sitting in t big pails. I keep meaning to get to them... I think you inspired me to just do it., Thanks.
Tried it last night. It worked! Thanks.
I had a brush that I left too long in a plastic bag, and I thought it was garbage. I left the brush in a bag of Murphy’s Oil Soap for about a week. It was soft enough to start bending and separating the bristles a bit. After another week in the soap, I was able to clean the brush very thoroughly. Thanks Leah for this very helpful tip!0:07 0:07
See also Murphy's Tire and Tube Mounting Compound, although I use Murphy's Oil Soap to help change motorcycle tires. I believe the vegetable oil soap is safer and more recommended than other lubricants when dealing with rubber. Water may cause a wheel rim to rust.
Never heard of this method, thanks Leah! I am diligent about cleaning my own brushes right away after use but I was once given a really nice brush that was hardened. I regrettably was not able to save it, if only I'd known then that oil soap does the job.
Great tips! Now I just need to remember to use my Paint brush/roller spinner to save some trouble in the future.
I'm so happy to see you still at this youtube thing, and having gotten so many subscribers! I've watched various videos of yours over the years, starting from quite a ways back, for fixing odds and ends.
Oh my...no more throwing brushes away.Thanks Jane
That is one HECK of a trick!!! I like Murphys too!! Great for cleaning wood without harm, but I use it in laundry too. Its got a nice clean smell to it!!
Thanks so much for showing how to take care of this common problem and in a much less toxic way than the mainstream solutions.
✊🏽✌🏽
My 26 year old brush is still usable today. It’s a ‘Purdy’ brand. Just properly maintain them every use. Pay attention to the bristle type and stiffness. Thanks for yet another great video. Cheers
That’s the best thing I’ve seen on youtube in a while
I do a lot of chalk painting and have let a couple of brushes, if not more 🤫🤭 get stiff because I didn't wash them. I read that soaking them in fabric softener works so I tried it and it did. Always good to know how to save a paint brush from any type of dried paint. Thanks for the video!
Another winner of an idea. Thanks, Leah.
Wow!! Brilliant!! Too many countless brushes thrown out, I like there's a way to save them. TY Leah!!!
Super speedy reply! Thanks, Leah! Go Tool Women!
Thanks Leah!!! I would have never thought that brush you started with could be salvaged. Yes, good brushes are quite expensive so it's great to know how to keep them in good shape!
I use Murphy’s Oil for five years and have saved so many brushes.
Thank you so much! I started sharing my brushes with my daughters once they got good enough…let’s just say I lost a lot of brushes! We tried all kinds of products, but none worked well. I will definitely try restoring my brushes using your method!
This woman must be protected at all costs.
You read my mind!
Yes she’s the Ms Roger’s of the neighborhood. I love her. I replay her videos at night to get to sleep ASMR
Fabulous!!!! I"ve been cleaning oil paint brushes with Dawn blue liquid dish soap and water. Works great. But mostly I use non-oil paint and the base of the brushes collects and collects till there's almost no useful bristles. NOW I can clean these too. )))))) THANK YOU.
Exactly nowadays try and save what you can ..every penny counts 👍
Brilliant.
We still own forty five year old three inch household paintbrushes my late Nana, Phlo used to paint with during tge 1960' and seventies, AND, a few of them are set with dry paint, hard set. I never knew anythso unchemically base existed. Thank you.
Ms. Leah I want to thank you for all the informative videos. In my 30s I was finally able to buy a home, granted it needed and still needs some work, but your videos are teaching me so much. I'm learning new skills all the time. You are an amazing teacher!
Thank you
Hi Leah 😊I have been doing this for my paint brushes since you did a video on it and it works so well and makes my brushes like new! Thank you. Your advice is fantastic 👏 we're so grateful for your information and expertise!😊 thank you !
Hi Leah! I love using a paint comb to clean my paint brushes. I try to always clean my brushes at the end of a paint job, but if I don't, I just get an old heavy-duty plastic cup filled with warm water & a squirt or two of Dawn dish detergent. Mix it and plop that brush in so all the bristles are submerged. Let it soak overnight and then use my paint comb to clean it the next morning. Rinse well, let my brush dry, and several times while it's drying I run my clean paint comb thru the bristles. Dawn dish detergent works very well too and is much cheaper to use than a whole bunch of Murphy's oil soap.
Great tip Miss Jane, LOVE your videos. God bless you for helping us
Lord bless this lady for keeping true remedies alive.
I only wish this remedy worked when I forget to immediately clean my brushes after using catalytic epoxy!!! After rereading this I decided to do a variation for resined brushes. I laid out some aluminum foil, dropped some strong Stripeze on it and immersed several small brushes in it and folded the foil around the stripper soaked brush heads and will check in the morning. Either the resin has dissolved or the brush heads did also.
Thanks! Your painter's trick worked great! One addition I would like to suggest is to soak it in Murphy's longer than just one night, if possible. I couldn't get to mine that soon so it ended up soaking for a few days and the paint came off very easily in the warm water with only mild combing. Thanks again.
Omg! Why didn’t I see this earlier? Cleaned out shed today and tossed multiple paint brushes! Might have to dig through trash! Seriously ! But I did save a dozen or so putty knives! They were a bit rusty but have you seen the price of those puppies ? Ridiculously!
Sweet. I just found an old brush while cleaning and was going to throw it away. Great to know that I can clean it and use it again. Thanks for the tip!
Does it matter if the paint was oil-based vs water-based?
Good brushes have flagged tips. Will this procedure successfully clean and separate the fine fibers of the flagged tips?
Sou pintor profissional aqui no Brazil a 20 anos!!! Na verdade um profissional de verdade jamais deixaria uma trincha, pincel caríssimo tipo woosterr ou purdy deixar endurecer assim!!!
Um salve para todos os guerreiros da pintura de todo o mundo 🤟🇧🇷
Does this work for all types of paint or just water-based? Thank you
Amazing! Thank you so much. I've thrown away so many brushes that I thought I'd ruined. I am so happy to have a solution for the next crusty brush!
As an old hard dry painter I love this tip! My wife and I once found ourselves standing in a supermarket line behind a woman who had several bottles of Murphy Oil soap. We asked her what she planned to do with it all. . .She said she was a nurse in an operating room and used Murphy Oil soap to get out bloodstains out of her uniform. Dried on, washed in, years old-it doesn't matter. Hail to the makers of Murphy Oil Soap-I'll be getting a bottle for my paint cabinet now! Thanks for your great video
Great idea, i hadnt thought of using Murphy's for that. I really wouldn't have thought it could soften and break dry paint up like that.
My dad had some old brushes that i will try restoring like that.
I will use this for my tiny paint brushes also, as i have a couple that still couldnt get clean enough. Thanks.
My top tip - Wrap your used paint brush in cling film and place it in the freezer.
Before or after cleaning
Same I use grocery bag. Never have to clean them again and can pull them out the next day and start painting right away
Only if you are going to use it the next day…..I left a really nice Purdy sash brush in too long (oil based paint), now it is hard as a board. Will by trying Leah’s trick on it. I have used paint stripper on them in the past, but I am really liking the Murphy’s oil soap idea!
You can wrapped up in zip lock baggy and put in frig to keep it from drying out. I do this when I’m done painting for the day and want to continue the next day.
What a great idea! When I was a sign painter, after doing a deep clean, we always coated the brush with oil. Today, with all the water-based paints, it would mean washing the oil out before using...but it did keep the brushes in great condition. With sign painting brushes costing a hundred dollars, you had to care for them. I don't even know what a sable brush would cost today!
Thanks for the tips. Although anyone who lets a paintbrush get that bad should probably let someone else do the painting.
Wth. It gets left out by accident.
True. Definitely hire someone to do a tiny touch up instead of reconstituting a brush. We should definitely be gatekeeping simple DIY stuff, mhm 😂
Well, unfortunately I let someone else use my brushes
Excellent video as always. I've been painting professionally for over 35 years and use commercial brush cleaners when necessary and they are nasty. The Murphy's Oil Soap looks like a much better alternative.
So, this seems like a very good solution. I might try it in the future! So far, if I find a super clogged brush on a worksite someone has abandoned, I take it home and soak it for about five minutes in lacquer thinner, doing all the steps you did, but instead of over night, the entire process takes about ten minutes. Only thing is, you do have to wear thick chemical gloves, but I don't mind that so much, the brush turns out super clean.
Looks to me like this method creates a "comb", 2 brushes, a bucket and miscellaneous other things that must be cleaned for re-use, AFTER the initial brush is cleaned.
Also, what type of paint was in the hardened first brush? Oil-based or latex? Does Murphy's Oil Soap work equally well for either type of paint?
Granted, brushes are expensive. But so are the other brushes and the comb that you used, and you didn't say what you did to those items to clean them, or if you threw them away. I'm not seeing the financial benefit of this cleaning method. Please explain more.
No answer in three days so, just as I suspected, this poster only wants attention and clicks, doesn't have anything worth doing that actually saves money.
Painters working in the scenery shop at the local professional musical theatre taught me about Murphy’s oil soap. I did not know it would clean out old paint. They used it after rinsing in water and using the steel brush. Windex can also be used to get dried paint up, off floors or hands. After cleaning the brushes, the paint shop folks would wash their brushes with Murphy’s and rinse well. The Murphy’s conditioned them like hair conditioners.
Get to the point😅
Wow just tried this and it was the best hack ever! Thanks Jane
Brilliant! I have at least five brushes that I've kept because I knew there had to be a solution!!! Thank you!