How to clean your brushes when you use acrylic paint?

Question: How to clean your brushes when you use acrylic paint!?

What's the best way, after they are all dried out!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

I hope these weren't expensive brushes! Once acrylic paint is dried into a brush, it is very hard, if not impossible, to get out as it is now water resistant!. This page claims to have a technique that is "guaranteed" to get dried acrylic paint out, but I have never tried it: http://reviews!.ebay!.com/Clean-Stubborn-A!.!.!.

Other emergency solutions I've heard of are to try soaking the bristles in ammonia, Windex, or even rubbing alcohol!. This will never restore them to new, but might make them workable!. You may have success with some of these remedies, but be prepared to buy new brushes!. Once acrylic dries, it really does become plastic!. Good luck!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Just go to an art supply store or hardware store and buy a paint thinner or a bottle/can of mineral spirits!. Then let the brushes soak in that for a bit, if the paint has been dried in the brushes for more than a few days I would probably soak them all day!. Then use a liquid soap and rub it into the bristles while you clean!. Depending on how dried up the paint is, you might have to do this a couple times!. The paint thinner will smell really bad, and be careful not to use it in a poorly ventilated room, as the fumes aren't good for you!.

Good luck!

EDIT: By the way, I've used turpentine MANY times on acrylics, and I promise you, they work!. I just graduated from an art college, so we were all taught how to be crafty!. Many of my friends use the same method, some just use mineral oil because the fumes aren't nearly as bad, although it is more expensive!. I think it's funny that some people think it won't work, considering the fact that turpentine and mineral oil are considered paint thinners!.!.!.Just think about that for a minute!Www@QuestionHome@Com

it depends on how dried out you mean, if they're dried out and still covered in paint and have gone hard you could try soaking them to see if softens them up again if not i'm afraid they've had it and your best bet is to get new brushes and remember to wash them out properly with water and if necessary a drop of washing up liquid before the paint dries, keep a piece of kitchen roll or a cloth by you when you paint next time and give them a wipe after you've washed them to get any residual paint offWww@QuestionHome@Com

Turpentine and mineral spirits don't work on acrylics, only on oils!. Probably nothing will clean them if they are completely dry!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Soak them in acetone!. It usually works for me and only rarely destroys the brush!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

wash it and prayWww@QuestionHome@Com