Cleaning Oil Paint Brushes With Turpentine

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Cleaning Brushes

Clean Brushes Naturally

You put your best into your work, so treat yourself and your supplies in the best manner, too.

Before cleaning oil-based paint off your brush, put on your dust mask and safety glasses, to protect you from the fumes. Pour some turpentine into a bucket and soak your brush in it for several minutes. Swirl the brush around and wipe it against the side of the bucket until it's clean. Then wipe it dry on a rag. Free games for mac os x download full.

Cleaning Oil Paint Brushes With Turpentine Oil

  1. I can not believe that you ask: “What is the best way to clean oil paint brushes without paint thinners?”, and people still tell you to use paint thinners in the form of kerosene, turpentine, mineral spirits, etc. That does not answer your questio.
  2. I call this the 1/8 Inch Method: This technique is simple and easy for cleaning brushes used with oil based paint or oil based finishes, such as Waterlox.

Protect your brushes – and your health – by choosing a safer, natural cleaner. Unlike mineral turpentine and mineral spirits, Citra Solv natural solvent does not contain petroleum distillates, which are highly toxic substances. And exposure to “regular” turpentine can be extremely dangerous, even in small amounts.

Plus: cleaning brushes with Citra Solv is easy, efficient, and completely water rinse able. Most other removers require at least an extra step with soap and water. We suggest you simply put some Citra Solv in a glass jar with a lid -- and then keep reusing it.

Cleaning oil paint brushes artists

Cleaning your brushes with Citra Solv is better for your brushes, the environment -- and you.

2. Clean the brush with a little soap and water in the palm of the hand.

Cleaning Oil Paint Brushes With Turpentine &


3. Let the paint solids settle for a day to so. Pour out the clear citrasolv into another jar and re use.

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Thanks to Lucy Reitzfeld for the images and process.

'I highly recommend Citra Solv as a final brush cleaner for oil painting. It's just a wonderful product! For years I've been concerned about the toxic nature of paint solvents. Some years ago I became highly allergic to them and simply couldn't be around any of them. I used linseed oil or walnut alkyd resin for painting, but I couldn't seem to find a final brush cleaner that wasn't sticky or syrupy. Everything on the market was just too gooey. I had Citra Solv in my kitchen and loved it there and tried it as a brush cleaner in my studio. Wow! It behaves very much like turpentine or turpentine substitute but without any toxic fumes.

Just keep it in a glass jar with a top, swirl the brush around, and then clean the brush with a little plain soap and water to remove all traces of paint and oil. Let the dirty paint settle in the jar, pour off the top into another jar and re use. Voila!'

-Lucy Reitzfeld

Cleaning Oil Paint Brushes Without Turpentine

Lucy Reitzfeld is a professional painter whose works are exhibited and collected widely throughout the United States. She teaches painting at the School of visual Arts in New York.

How To Clean Oil Brushes With Turpentine

Learn how Robert Burridge gets his tools clean with Citra Solv