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Could use some advice on cleaning brushes.

Have a large coffee cup filled with what used to be good brushes. Many of them have lost their tip, mostly hardened paint that's made its way to the ferrule. I'd like to get them useable again.

Question is, what's the best way to get them clean? Currently, I use Windsor Newton Brush Cleaner and Master's Cleaner and Restorer. Soaking them overnight and scrubbing them is good for routine maintenance, but eventually the bristles just separate.

I've seen a couple videos on cleaning where someone goes in with a pin to break up the hardened paint then soaks it repeatedly. But that approach has its limits, the tip never really gets back to prime condition.

I realize all brushes have a serviceable life and will eventually degrade. But some of these were only used a few times, feels like I should expect more.

Help me out, what would you suggest for a deep cleaning / restoration project?

My understanding is that the coffee cup may be part of it, depending on if you kept the protectors on. Protectors on point down, or sideways without them works better than point up, supposedly. One I do know works is shaping your points as you clean them--drag away from the tip at an angle a few times to help shape them with the water and brush soap on, then just rinse, shouldn't take a deep soak and scrub (that may even weaken the glue and train the hairs weird directions, making it worse). Also, only get a little paint on them and rinse often, don't dip all the way in the pot.

Deep cleaning, I'd heard W&N have a cleaner for soaking, or maybe iso alchohol, but never tried either, and both would be really harsh on the brush, definitely need brush soap or pink stuff for conditioning after.
Fairly amateur myself, so more than willing to hear where I'm wrong.

Is your cleaner a soap that you work into the bristles? You do need to get a good lather in amongst the bristles at the ferrule, before forming a good point to complete your routine.

Also, are they sable or synthetic? Synthetics really don't give you much before the tip hooks, but these should still be usable for a time.

A few good practice measures are not using your best brushes for inks or washes, and not dunking your brush in the paint right to the ferrule

Has anyone tried green stuff word brush restorer? Just bought it but not had chance to use it. What are these cleaning products? I just use water. I assumed you could use the same stuff you use to clean paint of minis to clean brushes as well like fairy power spray

paint stripping products usually contain aggressive chemicals that probably arent the best for your brush bristles. all you need is a brush soap to break up any paint in the ferrule. you could use brush oils or conditioners after but i dont bother with these.

 techsoldaten wrote:
I've seen a couple videos on cleaning where someone goes in with a pin to break up the hardened paint then soaks it repeatedly. But that approach has its limits, the tip never really gets back to prime condition.

That's sort of the crux of it. It's amazing what a bit of TLC and a good brush soap/cleaner will do, but they aren't actually magic. I've used the pin+Master's brush soap trick (I leave in a lather for a bit to soften the gunk before I move to the pin, then repeat) numerous times to greatly extend the working life of terribly abused brushes, but even the more mildly gunked up ones will never be quite the same. It's very much a case of "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" with brushes, I've found. With my nicer sables, I made sure to be diligent with rinsing while I work (every few brushloads), first and foremost, and gave them regular lathers every few days of regular (sporadic) use, after a long session, or before long-term storage. Synthetics... there's only so much you can do, even under the best conditions. Despite you best efforts, I wouldn't count on any of those mug-stored brushes becoming your 'good' ones, again. Many are sure to become serviceable, though, and you already seem to have a handle on how to get them there.

Thanks everybody for the feedback.

Vejut wrote:My understanding is that the coffee cup may be part of it, depending on if you kept the protectors on. Protectors on point down, or sideways without them works better than point up, supposedly. One I do know works is shaping your points as you clean them--drag away from the tip at an angle a few times to help shape them with the water and brush soap on, then just rinse, shouldn't take a deep soak and scrub (that may even weaken the glue and train the hairs weird directions, making it worse). Also, only get a little paint on them and rinse often, don't dip all the way in the pot.

Deep cleaning, I'd heard W&N have a cleaner for soaking, or maybe iso alchohol, but never tried either, and both would be really harsh on the brush, definitely need brush soap or pink stuff for conditioning after.
Fairly amateur myself, so more than willing to hear where I'm wrong.

Keeping the brushes in a coffee cup is probably not ideal. I've been keeping them on the table, flat, and only putting them back after a deep clean.

The W&N works a couple ways for me. I keep a small cup sitting around and swirl brushes around in it regularly, that gets some of the stuff off. I also do overnight soaks when a brush gets too dirty, that gets stuff off the ferrule but tends to lead to a bent tip.

I used to use isopropyl alcohol for soaking, but noticed I was losing hairs on my Windsor Newtons. I also used to use it to thin paints, which was also killing brushes. So it's not part of my routine anymore.

queen_annes_revenge wrote:
Is your cleaner a soap that you work into the bristles? You do need to get a good lather in amongst the bristles at the ferrule, before forming a good point to complete your routine.

Also, are they sable or synthetic? Synthetics really don't give you much before the tip hooks, but these should still be usable for a time.

A few good practice measures are not using your best brushes for inks or washes, and not dunking your brush in the paint right to the ferrule

Yeah, I've started using different brushes for different purposes. Inks and Metallics tend to create the most problems.

I've got an assortment of brushes, everything from the low end to the high end. There's Citadel, WN Series 7s, La Corneille and a few other sable hair brushes. There's a variety of cheap synthetics mixed in.

oadie wrote:

 techsoldaten wrote:
I've seen a couple videos on cleaning where someone goes in with a pin to break up the hardened paint then soaks it repeatedly. But that approach has its limits, the tip never really gets back to prime condition.

That's sort of the crux of it. It's amazing what a bit of TLC and a good brush soap/cleaner will do, but they aren't actually magic. I've used the pin+Master's brush soap trick (I leave in a lather for a bit to soften the gunk before I move to the pin, then repeat) numerous times to greatly extend the working life of terribly abused brushes, but even the more mildly gunked up ones will never be quite the same. It's very much a case of "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" with brushes, I've found. With my nicer sables, I made sure to be diligent with rinsing while I work (every few brushloads), first and foremost, and gave them regular lathers every few days of regular (sporadic) use, after a long session, or before long-term storage. Synthetics... there's only so much you can do, even under the best conditions. Despite you best efforts, I wouldn't count on any of those mug-stored brushes becoming your 'good' ones, again. Many are sure to become serviceable, though, and you already seem to have a handle on how to get them there.

Since I originally posted, I deep cleaned most of them. Didn't get the tip back on any of them.

I'm starting to think that's just never going to happen and I should just be buying cheap brushes from now on.

Just regular masters siap methinks.

But more crucially, the only way to keep your brushes healthy gor long is dont let your paint run all the way up to the ferrule in the first place. Only ever take on enough paint on the tip/reservoir. I use old brushes for mixing paint /medium and never a good brush im actualy painting with. Still happens but ive been working on this and changing my water frequently.