Vinegar

This is not a new trick ....... but it's one that I hadn't made to work properly for me before.

Cleaning epoxy from paint brushes can be a nightmare and usually is.  In the past, I have generally used cheap-as-chips brushes on a single use basis.  This always irked me, as it seemed really wasteful.  Not having an easy source of acetone or other chemical cleaners, I tried the vinegar trick using the cheapest distilled grain vinegar I could find:

This stuff is £0.48 a litre at the local supermarket.

However, I never seemed to get more than 2 or 3 uses out of a brush - which admittedly was an improvement on single use.  Trial and error has now got me to a position where I can re-use brushes seemingly indefinitely.  Top tips:

• Use artificial (nylon) bristle brushes
• These must be brand new and not have been used for any other painting or varnishing - however well you think you have cleaned them
• Brush, squeeze and wipe out a much epoxy as possible from the bristles when you have finished using the brush
• Immerse it in clean vinegar up to well over the top of the metal ferrule and give it a really good swoosh about
• Leave it to soak (stirring once in a while) for about 24 hours; not longer than 48 hours
• Wash it out in warm water using washing-up liquid neat as the brush cleaner
• Don't re-use the vinegar; dispose of it and wash out the pot with plently of warm water and washing-up liquid.
• Make sure that the brush is completely dry before the next use

Skipping any of the above results in a brush that will clog up irretrievably after a couple of uses.  I suspect that none of this is new - but it came as a great relief to me !