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How to Soften a Paintbrush and Reuse it in 5 Ways

By Rose Ann Dabu

Paintbrushes that have dried out often get thrown away because they don’t seem to be useful anymore. If you also do this, you should learn these efficient ways how to soften a paintbrush.

Before you purchase a new paintbrush, make sure to read these tips. You’ll surely be glad to reuse the old ones that you already have at home rather than spending money on a new one.

How to soften a paintbrush and reuse it in 5 ways

How to keep paintbrush from drying out? Trim those bristles off

Now no brush is perfect, nor are they accurate and neat when painting. There will be smearing and weird smudges here and there. So take that brush and clip and trim off those bristles.

The angle makes it easier to hit those corner spots with paint.

Close-up of a small painting brush
Source: Pexels

Reusing a brush with a plastic bottle

Cut through the middle of a plastic bottle, making sure it’s a clean line down the center.

Go slowly, you don’t want to cut yourself. Roll out the strip of plastic then measure your brush out so you can cover those bristles as shown in the video below.

Take an old mop sponge, cut out and through the sponge to perfectly fit the brush, then wrap it around until it’s snug. Rubber bands should do to tighten and hold down together.

Make a mini paintbrush out of a sponge
Source: YouTube – The Maker

Now you can paint surfaces again. Sure, you could just pop out and buy a new brush but with fuel prices the way they are, this is a great hack!

Oh, and that sponge end can be cleaned easily.

Make a nice and clean paintbrush with this hack

A flat paintbrush and other tools in a pan
Source: Pexels

Old rollers can be reused like those paintbrushes. Whether you want a mini paintbrush or a big one, you can definitely do this.

Take an old mop sponge (if you have one) and rip off the rougher abrasive end.

Cut off a plastic pipe measuring it to fit the roller. Using construction adhesive or similar, roll the sponge onto the pipe, rolling both to be sure they really stick together.

Reassemble the sponge onto the roller. It works the same!

A hinge and a hole

This one’s going to require a drill and a hinge.

Find a piece of plastic thin but strong enough to block corners when applying paint. Drill a hole in the middle of the piece and one by the corner of a brush.

Screw the plastic on the brush’s body and you should have a piece of plastic that can fold up or down.

Keep on rolling

There are different ways to use a roller and flat paintbrush
Source: Pexels

Let’s hope you have an offset hinge laying around somewhere. And a small wheel that can act as a roller.

Drill a hole on the side of the brush and screw the hinge and wheel on to form an angle that will allow you to paint at ease, using the roller to guide the brush over the surface to be painted.

It does make painting corners easier. It will be even easier if you’ll use a small painting brush instead of a bigger one. 

How to soften a paintbrush: Takeaways

Learn how to use a round paintbrush and roller
Source: Pexels

Whether you need a flat paintbrush, a fan brush, or even a round one, you can definitely try these helpful hacks. Learning how to soften a paintbrush will benefit you when you’re painting in your home.

In addition to saving money, you can also ensure that you have a good paintbrush.

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