Skip the turpentine when cleaning your paint brushes.
Turpentine is commonly is used as a paint solvent, but is also is highly toxic if ingested. In fact, there have been cases of fatalities in children who have ingested as little as 15 milliliters of turpentine, according to Drugs.com. For this reason among others, it might be wise to keep turpentine out of the home and use something else to clean your oil paint brushes.
Instructions
1. Wipe off as much excess paint as you can onto the newspapers.
2. Wipe the brush on another piece of old newspaper to remove more oil.5. Wash the brush in the sink with soap.
Fill your washing tank full of linseed oil. Putting a wire screen or coil in the bottom to rub the bristles against will help get the brush cleaner.3. Swish the brush around in the tank, just as you would in turpentine. Be gentle but thorough. Get as much pigment out of the brush as possible.4.
Build up a lather, swish the brush back and forth on your palm, rinse and repeat. Keep washing until you see no more color coming out of the bristles, then wash it two more times for good measure.
6. Squeeze any excess water out of your brush and shape the bristles into a point.
7. Lay your brush on its side to dry. Once it's dry you can set it up on its end in a can.
