Happy Tuesday and thanks for joining me! {big smile}
I was recently asked how I clean my wax brushes – great question!
Let me start by saying, I only own one (1) “fancy” wax brush and it took me quite a while to purchase it and make the switch. Prior to buying it, I was quite happy applying my wax topcoat with a soft lint free rag or cheap dollar store chip brush. Both worked perfectly fine and as an added bonus, I didn’t have to worry about clean-up!
But since I made the investment, and I use this brush for both my dark and clear waxing, I’d like to take care of it and keep it clean for a perfect finish every time.
Here’s how I clean my wax brush in under 2 minutes.
1. Wipe off all the excess wax after use.
2. Pour Mineral spirits into a glass jar. I use glass because I reuse the Mineral Spirits for my next cleaning.I pour just enough to soak the brushes bristles.
3. Let the brush soak in the Mineral Spirits for a minute until all the wax has dissolved. To speed things up, I also like swishing and pressing the bristles against the bottom of the jar to help dissolve and remove the wax.
4. Remove the brush and gently wash with a mild dish detergent in warm water. I like Dawn.
5. Squeeze out all the water and hang or set aside to dry.
This is the fastest and most effect way {I know of} to keep my wax brush looking brand new and ready for my next furniture project!
If you have any questions or suggestions on how to clean your wax brush, chime in because I always love hearing from you!
You can catch last weeks Q-T-T here and if YOU have any ideas or tips you would like to share on the SI Quick-Tip-Tuesday-Series, feel free to send me an email.
Have a special day!
Denise x
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I use Murphy’s Oil Soap to clean all my brushes. If your brushes are even dried you can soak them to get them soft again. I have a wire brush I also run through them to get anything stuck .
It softens and conditions them beautifully.
Thanks for the wonderful article
Hmmmm…whenever I use mineral spirits to clean my wax brushes, the bristles fall out in droves, even though I’m careful to just get the bristles wet. All of the bristles on one (expensive) brush came out in big clumps, so I avoid mineral spirits completely now.
Oh NO! I’ve never had this happen!
Hi, I’m a bit late to the party, but can you tell me why a applying wax with a brush is better than with a cloth?? Thanks!
Hi Lee! It’s not ‘better’ because you should get the same results using either or. However, some furniture painters may argue that applying with a brush is faster. Personally, I’ve used a cloth, cheap chip brush and I also have a more costly wax brush – they all give the same results. 🙂
I use dish detergent and hot running water. Squeeze moisture out with paper towels and done
Thanks. It was a large investment for me to buy two brushes and I wouldn’t want them damaged. I just used my wax brush for the first time. I’m very thankful I stopped here to check about what to use to clean, I just washed my brush with soap and water. I’ll let you know how it comes out in a couple of days. Thanks for all the replies here.
That is what I was going to reply! Mineral spirits will ruin your brushes.
I like using mineral spirits to clean the brushes but you can also use vegetable oil. Also, I don’t wash my wax brushes. I was told not to so cleaning them with vegetable oil works great. I also mix my clear and dark wax and thin with mineral spirits to a “mashed potato” consistency. Then I paint it on with a cheap chip brush and wipe it to the color I like. This leaves a thin coat of wax and buffing is so much easier.
Love all these tips Martha! Thanks for chiming in. 🙂
Thanks for the tip , I am going to give it a try !!
I teach this to my students in my Paint 101 Class. It is definitely the best way to clean your brushes and make your investment last longer.
WOW….thanks for the tip…Looks easy and fast.
Been meaning to chime in about the brush thing for wax (yes I clean mine same way, works great), especially if you want to try it cheaply, or have a spare or smaller sizes for, say, dark wax detailing.I got the large #10 here and although it sheds a little and isn’t the quality of the AS one, it sure does a good job for me and SO. MUCH. CHEAPER.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003E4796M
Can you confirm whether mineral spirit is what we call methylated spirit in the UK. Alternatively is it white spirit or turpentine. Thank you so much.
Hi Nessie! Your ‘white spirit’ is like our ‘mineral spirit’ and I believe your ‘methylated spirit’ is like our ‘denatured alcohol’. 🙂
Always wondered how to clean the wax off those expensive brushes. Thanks for this info.
Great idea! Thank you.
Well I was doing that and it worked great and all of a sudden our stupid Governor Brown in California outlawed the mineral spirits to be sold here! He is such a joke!!!
Ventura county has the OG . I believe its in pints only now. Its terrible in LA county ! We’ve been mixing the new ” paint thinner substitute” with kerosene, roughly 50/50 . Its been getting us through the stain and grain jobs when we need to use it. Basically its Acetone now.