Goobertown Hobbies shows us all how to clean and recondition paint brushes for miniatures even when they are really beat up!
Goobertown Hobbies is a great content creator with interesting takes on the hobby. Whether it’s a collaboration with other YouTubers or a challenge for himself, he covers a broad range of topics.
Since he has so much great content, why not check out what else he has done?
This week, he is showing how to save those paintbrushes from the trash and keep them around for way longer. Let’s dive into it!
How to Clean & Recondition Your Miniature Paint Brushes: Tutorial
We will look at a few different cleaning tools and different types of brushes and get them working again! Even for brushes that look like the one above. Let’s see how to do it.
Rubbing Alcohol
This is probably something most people have lying around at home, and it can work to clean brushes. If you don’t have some, it’s pretty cheap on Amazon or in the first aid aisle at stores.
All he does is pour it into a container, put the brushes in, and rub them on a towel. Some of the paint comes off in the liquid; some comes off on the towel. This is a bit of an extreme issue, but it’s easy and fairly cheap.
Just be sure to reshape your bristles into a point after doing this.
Hand Sanitizer
Again, this is probably something you have around the house. Brent uses 70% alcohol for this. He uses the same method as above, and it acts in a pretty similar way. The main difference is if you like the gel or the liquid.
He has tons of synthetic brushes he needs to clean, but only a few natural hair brushes. This will change the methods you use, but if you want to see the differences between the types of brushes, check out his video on it here!
Windsor Newton Brush Cleaner
They don’t really list everything in the mix, but this does get paint out of the bristles quickly. He uses the same method as above to start but also lets the brushes sit in the solution for a while before trying to wipe them off.
This actually started to melt the plastic cup a little, so use glass.
This gets paint off, but it’s not his favorite as it leaves a bit of a sticky feeling on the brushes. He’s only using this for acrylic paints; if you’re using oil-based paints, you’ll probably want to use something different. You can check out more on this cleaner here.
Super Clean
This is generally used in the hobby to take paint off of miniatures, but it also works for paint brushes. However, it was even taking some of the plating off the end of the ferrule, so be careful!
Day to Day Cleaning
All the above methods are for really damaged brushes, but you can do more regular cleaning to avoid those steps altogether!
To start, he’s going to use Master Brush Soap and Mona Lisa Pink Soap.
For the brush soap, you just get a little bit of water on your brush and rub it on the soap, and when you’re done, rinse it off with water and reshape your point.
Reshaping Your Miniatures Paint Brush Points
Brent lets them sit in hot water for a while and then uses his fingers to reshape the brush. With synthetic, you get the above results, not perfect, and he really doesn’t see a ton of difference.
So, you can just reshape them in normal water and not really worry too much about the hot water.
Here’s all the different products used in the video:
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Hand Sanitizer
- Windsor Newton Brush Cleaner
- Super Clean
- Master Brush Soap
- Mona Lisa Pink Soap
Top 5 Cleaning Tips For Paint Brushes For Miniatures
1. Remove Residual Paint with Water. After every painting session, make it a habit to swish your brushes in clean water. This simple yet effective step helps remove any lingering acrylic paint from the bristles. Using a dedicated water pot can enhance this process, ensuring that your brushes are thoroughly rinsed.
2. Harness the Power of Brush Soap: Invest in a high-quality brush soap and cleaner, such as Jentastic Drunken Brush Goop Conditioner or Master’s Brush Soap & Cleaner. This cost-effective solution is a game-changer when it comes to preserving your brushes. Regularly using brush soap ensures your brushes remain in top-notch shape, ready to deliver impeccable results.
3. Dry Your Brushes Correctly: The way you dry your brushes matters. Whenever possible, hang your brushes vertically with the bristle tip down. Alternatively, you can lay them horizontally on a brush rest. This prevents water from seeping into the ferrule (the metal part of the brush), which can lead to damage and deformation of the bristles.
4. Deep Cleaning with Brush Restorer Solution: For thorough deep cleaning, especially if you notice dried acrylic paint on the bristles, consider soaking your brushes up to the ferrule in a solution like Winsor & Newton’s Brush Restorer. This solution works wonders in reviving your brushes, ensuring they maintain their pristine condition.
5. Opt for Cool or Lukewarm Water: When cleaning your brushes, always use cool or lukewarm water. Avoid hot water, as it can potentially damage the delicate bristles and the brush itself. Maintaining the right water temperature is crucial for extending the life of your brushes.
Be sure to watch the video below for all the tips on reconditioning your paint brushes for miniatures and maintaining them!
If you are curious about the whole review with more details, don’t forget to watch the full video above! Also, be sure to Subscribe to Goobertown Hobbies if you enjoy his content!
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
